Wouter Hamel

Winner Dutch Jazz Vocalisten Concours 2005. Jury: "A lot of courage, perfect timing. Wouter Hamel has a touching sound ... You just have to lean back and enjoy Wouters singing."

As a teenager Wouter discovered singing by working on school-musicals in Secondary School. At that time, he played guitar and joined several rockbands. Later on he switched to singer-song. Only years later, at the Conservatory of Utrecht, he got in touch with jazz and swing.

There was private tuition from artists such as Mark Murphy, Lydia Van Dam and Denise Jannah. Jon Hendricks was his muse. Wouter spent many hours studying vocalise, a singing-technique Hendricks developed.

Wouter has worked as a backing singer in musicals, theatre-productions, orchestras and bands. He also performed with dj's in the clubscene. For two years he was a member of the a capella group Intermezzo. His recent work is described as "a fusion of jazz, rock, pop and chanson".

After winning the Dutch Jazz Vocalist Competition, Wouter performed in several tv-shows, such as Papaul, Barend en Van Dorp and Goedemorgen Nederland. He also collaborates with bigband The Young Sinatras. In 2005 Wouter will be in various theaters with jazz-label and organisation Jazz Impuls.