Woodcraft
Ensemble
Joshua, Noah, Wouter, Reinout, and Ischa first met as kids in 2010, at a football field during De Muziekdagen in Orvelte. This marked the beginning of a close friendship and the point from where their first band name was born: Lang Leve de Lol (“Long Live the Fun”). Today, the fun is visibly still there – but the boys are making serious steps under the name Woodcraft. From their roots in classical music, their music has taken its own unique path over the past years; a path on which they have found new possibilities for their traditional instruments. Because of their unusual setting of three cellos and two violins, they rely on their creativity and inventiveness, and it suits them well. Their untitled debut album, released in 2023, is full of their own unique compositions and improvisations. Woodcraft’s music is typical of the time in which they grew up: a genre-transcendent, outspoken style.
By playing solely their own compositions, Woodcraft won the Best Band Prize and the Audience Prize at the Dutch Jazz Competition in 2022, and they have performed at festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Grachtenfestival, and the Cello Biënnale. Woodcraft’s second studio album will be released in 2024.
Noah Hassler-Forest – violin
Reinout de Vey Mestdagh – cello
Joshua Herwig – cello
Ischa Kooistra – cello
Wouter Torringa – violin