Willem de Koch

A native of Seattle, Washington, Willem de Koch enjoys a diverse career as a performer, composer, and educator.

At home in a variety of musical styles, Willem has shared the stage with improvisational-music luminaries Wayne Horvitz and Bill Frisell, indie-rock phenomenon Feist, jazz legends Dave Douglas, Wycliffe Gordon, George Duke, and many others. He has played orchestral music under the batons of Leonard Slatkin, Kurt Masur, George Manahan, Philippe Entremont, and Gerard Schwarz. Willem has performed across the globe in a wide variety of settings, including the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, and Carnegie Hall.

Willem places a high value on music education as a means for self-empowerment and a tool for social justice. He served as a teaching artist in Seattle Public Schools, and continues to teach masterclasses around the country and maintain a private teaching studio. Willem moved to New York in 2011, and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music in 2015. He lives in Brooklyn.