Ben Sluijs

Ben Sluijs (born on March 6, 1967, Antwerp, Belgium) is a Belgian jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer.

Biography Sluijs took five years of classical saxophone training at the Vilvoorde music academy with Rudy Haemers. He was taught on internships by François Daneels, Norbert Nozy, Willy Demey and Ed Bogaerts, among others. When he was fifteen, he became interested in jazz. After finishing his classical education, he went to the Antwerp Jazz Studio for four years where he took lessons with John Ruocco. He then went to Steve Houben's class at the Brussels Conservatory for a year. He eventually graduated from the Tilburg conservatory. In 2004, Sluijs went to the United States to take lessons with David Liebman.

Béla Bartók is an important influence in Sluijs' music. His style is described as lyrical and poetic.

Sluijs teaches jazz saxophone at the Conservatory of Antwerp.

Discography

Ben Sluijs Quartet (various compositions)

With Stacy Rowles: Till Next Time (1991) Food For Free (1997) Candy Century (1999) Seasounds (2001) Flying Circles (2002) True Nature (2005) Somewhere in Between (2006) Particles (2018)

Ben Sluijs/Erik Vermeulen Duo

Stones (2001) Parity (2010) Decades (2014)

Ancesthree

Ancesthree (2002)

The Unplayables

Harmonic Integration (2008)

3/4 Peace

3/4 Peace (2012) Rainy Days On the Common Land (2015)

Ben Sluijs Solo

Solo Recordings (2018)

Serge Lazarevitch Trio

Still Three, Still Free (2020)

Awards

Won

1999: Antoon Van Dijck Prize from the City of Antwerp. 2018: Sabam Jazz Awards in the "Established Value" category.