Great musical artistry and originality’, the distinction given to Yvonne Smeets as she graduated the Royal Conservatory summa cum laude in 2006, a year earlier she won the ‘Public’s award’ and second prize in the Dutch Vocal Jazz Competition.
After a brief career in architecture Yvonne chose music. The former rocksinger fell in love with jazz, she blends this with sounds from Brazilian and classical music, preferably in her own words.
Yvonne sang at the North Sea Jazz Festival 2004 with Kenny Wheeler and the Big Band of the Royal Conservatory. In 2005 the North Sea Jazz festival with the Big Band and Frank Tiberi. Projects with the Asko ensemble, Werner Herbers, Kevin Edusei and M.use and the ensemble Royal have led to concerts in the Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, Bimhuis, Philharmonie and the Dr. Anton Philipszaal, where she made a live recording.
In 2009 she released the album ‘Under A Cloud’, which included cover versions of Houdini and In The Warm Room.
Yvonne is also an educator, she teaches jazz-voice at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague, gives workshops and private lessons.
References
- Yvonne Smeets. Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag website, retrieved 22 November 2023
