Kino Haitsma is a versatile and passionate musician, who doesn’t confine himself to one style; in his music, influences can be heard from jazz, soul and funk, as well as minimal music, electronica and world music. As a studiomusician he recorded with various artists, like Rick Devito, Nena, Lucretia van der Vloot, Kasper van Kooten, DJ Roog and E-Life. Kino composed for theatre, commercials, video- and dance-productions.

He won the Pall Mall Swing Award in 1989.

background:

1969 – 1990
Kino Haitsma grew up in a house full of music and started to drum along with records at age six. Two years later, he discovered the piano, which eventually became his main instrument. Kino studied piano at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts), where he graduated with honors in 1989. With a scholarship he continued his studies in New York at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music where he was taught by Bob Belden, Kenny Werner, Jaki Byard, Harol Danko, Bernard Purdie and Jimmy Cobb.

KH: “Playing drums and listening to a lot of drummers has given me a lot of understanding of rhythm, and strongly influenced the way I approach the piano. I’d recommend it to every musician.” 

1991 – 2001
Kino composed and arranged part of the music for Josephine – The Musical; he composed and produced tracks for Rotterdam-based jazzdance label P&Bee (resulting in several releases for the international club-circuit); was a keyboardist with the Hans Dulfer Band (touring extensively through Europe and Japan) and taught piano at the Rotterdam Conservatory. In 1999 Kino relocated to the USA, where he collaborated as a composer/producer/engineer in the studio with D.B.O.C. In between he studied piano in Santiago de Cuba with Cuban pianist Geovanis Alcantara Lopez.

2002 – 2009
Kino worked as a teacher for the SKVR and Codarts and gave workshops and lectures. He composed music for commercials, dance and collaborated with DJ Roog on house-tracks and remixes. He was involved in many theatreproductions, as pianist/musical director and composer/arranger. Kino toured with Scott & Muriel, André van Duin, Simone Kleinsma and Liesbeth List.