Fie Schouten
Clarinetist
Based in Amsterdam, she has become a distinctive voice in contemporary and improvised music, praised as “the most versatile clarinet player in the Netherlands.” She has premiered around 150 works, collaborated with composers from Helmut Lachenmann to Julia Wolfe, and performed with leading ensembles including Ensemble Musikfabrik. She works in own formations with a.o. cellist Vincent Courtois, drummer Sofia Borges, Frank Gratkowski reeds and pianist Guus Janssen. An avid reader, literature increasingly shapes her work – her recent project Free Space draws from author Georges Perec and Vostok Remote Islands from Judith Schalansky.
She founded with Tobias Klein the Basklarinet Festijn in 2014, a biennal festival celebrating her beloved instrument. As professor at the Prince Claus Conservatoire, she brings curiosity to teaching. Fie Schouten balances serious dedication with warmth and humor. She continues carving paths with infectious enthusiasm, always asking: what haven’t we discovered yet?