To think of my life without music – impossible!

Somehow, music has been there all the time and when it was gone, it didn’t take me long to say, “I want more!“

Originally I am from Bingen, a beautiful town in Germany next to the romantic Rhine river. I declared Amsterdam my home base in 2003 when I started my Jazz study at the Conservatory. Since my return to Bingen in January 2017 I keep on traveling back and forth between Germany and the Nether-lands.

My life as a musician is colorful, exciting and full of variety and change. Again and again, new doors seem to open to new parts of my mind that I didn’t know existed. Music lets me stumble and it keeps me on the move, making me doubt and look for new answers. Music makes me grow and it invites me to meet others and discover new parts of myself.

Below, you can find my musical path that summarizes and captures the important moments of my journey so far.

First steps

1981: born in Mainz

1990 – 1998: classical guitar lessons

since 1996: first band projects and big band experiences

since 1999: singing lessons

Takeoff and education

2002 – 2003: guest student at the Conservatory in Cologne, lessons and preparation for the entrance exam with Anne Hartkamp

2003 – 2009: study jazz vocals at the Conservatory of Amsterdam (Bachelor/Master) with Lydia van Dam, Eileen Fiss, Ge Titulaer, Ronald Douglas, Annett Andriesen and Edwin Rutten

2008: semester abroad at the Manhattan School of Music in New York with Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry and Peter Eldridge

2007 – 2009: member of the ‘Bundesjugendjazzorchester’ Germany (BuJazzO)

2006 – 2013: several Estill Voice Training System (EVTS) workshops

since 2013: guitar lessons

2014 – 2015: yin yoga teacher training at Yoga Garden Amsterdam

Encounters

2005/2006: concerts with the orchestra of the Dutch Royal Airforce (cond.Arjan Tien)

BuJazzO: Bill Dobbins, Marco Lackner, Ramesh Shotam, Mike Herting, Ed Partyka, Efrat Alony, Dena DeRose

Workshops: Darmon Meader (New York Voices), Bobby McFerrin, Julia Hülsmann, Fay Claassen, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy

Teaching

since 2006: private lessons in Amsterdam and Waldalgesheim/Bingen (Germany)

2008 – 2012: music school Amsterdam

since 2009: music school Tune Up Haarlem

since 2012: workshops (jazz, pop and songwriting) at diverse education centres in Germany (Bingen, Bad Kreuznach and Ingelheim)

Highlights

2007: graduation Conservatory of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Arts)

2007: own (jazz)musical project „The Fringe“

2009: graduation Conservatory of Amsterdam (Master of Arts)

2009: debut album „Inner Game“ (Neuklang/Challenge)

2013: EP „Turning The Tide“

2014: album with the Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra „Hits“ (Mons Records)

2007/2011: performances at the jazz festival „Bingen Swingt“ Germany

2009: finalist „Dutch Jazz Competition“

2011: performance at the opera ball in Frankfurt with the Fetzer Orchestra and Johnny Logan

2012/2013: concerts with „Kleingartenanlage“ on Johan Lafer’s house party

2014: chosen as ‚best duo – best voice’ with „Kleingartenanlage“ by SWR1

On the road

2002 – 2004: Germany tour with the rock opera „The Who’s Tommy“ (Miracle Musics): a.o. Tempodrom Berlin, Zirkus Krone Munich, Arena Oberhausen, Rosengarten Mannheim, Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt

since 2012: Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia

since 2012: ‚solo’ with guitar

since 2012: own band with current line up

since 2013: living room and club concerts with „Kleingartenanlage“

Currently

Julia & Band

Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra

Kleingartenanlage