Bimhuis at 50: Frank van Berkel Reflects on the Past and Future of the Iconic Venue
Interview with the Head of Programming at Bimhuis
Photo Credit: Bart Grietens
The Bimhuis, Amsterdam's renowned jazz venue, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this October. From October 1st to 31st, the club will host a month-long program packed with over 50 concerts, exhibitions, and special events, marking five decades of its profound influence on the jazz scene in the Netherlands and beyond. Musicians like Sun Ra Arkestra, Tineke Postma, and Hans Dulfer will take the stage, joined by new and established artists contributing fresh compositions.
Since its founding in 1974, Bimhuis has evolved into a key player in the international jazz community. What began as a grassroots effort by Dutch jazz pioneers Hans Dulfer, Willem Breuker, and Misha Mengelberg has grown into a world-renowned institution. Throughout the anniversary month, visitors can expect a rich blend of legacy performances and forward-looking compositions that reflect the club’s commitment to nurturing both past traditions and future innovations in jazz.
At the heart of these celebrations is Frank van Berkel, Bimhuis's current programmer. Frank took over programming in 2018 after an illustrious career as both a musician and a concert organizer. His passion for fostering new music while honoring the club’s rich history is evident in the meticulous planning of this anniversary month.
The month-long festivities kick off with a free concert on October 1st, featuring Martin Fondse's new ensemble performing "BIGBIM50: HOME," a tribute to the club's founders and pioneers. The program also includes living room concerts in private homes across Amsterdam, exhibitions of Bimhuis memorabilia, and the premiere of newly commissioned works by Marta Warelis and Tijn Wyrenga. The Bimhuis TV platform will stream many of the performances, giving global audiences a chance to join in on the celebrations.
Under Frank’s leadership, the Bimhuis continues to balance its legacy of experimental and avant-garde jazz with a commitment to supporting the next generation of artists. As the venue marks this milestone, it remains a symbol of Amsterdam’s vibrant and evolving jazz culture—a place where innovation and tradition meet, creating music that resonates far beyond its walls.
The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What does this moment mean to you and the team behind the club?
50 years is quite an amount of time. We all love the place, and I really feel from everybody working in the club, you know, preparing a party for tonight. We have the Bimhuis Ball tonight for everyone who worked at the Bimhuis over the years, and all the musicians who played here are invited. It's actually an informal party, no shows going on. In a broader sense, the fact that the Bimhuis has been able to go on for 50 years, considering what we are doing—avant-garde, experimental, risky music—is quite something. This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the municipality, which has been supporting the club for almost 50 years as well. We are happy they did that; they could have easily chosen not to.
There’s more to why the Bimhuis has continued for 50 years. My predecessor, Huub van Riel, was here for more than 40 years. He did amazing work. He was one of my idols, and he even booked me when I was still a musician at the Bimhuis. When I became a programmer, he was one of my examples. So, ending up as artistic director wasn’t something I had imagined, but I’m very grateful and honored to be in this position now. 50 years for a jazz club is quite something, especially for avant-garde music. While some jazz festivals, like Jazzfest Berlin, are older, for this kind of music, 50 years is exceptional.
Photo Credit: Bart Grietens
Can you talk about how the club has evolved into such a cultural landmark, starting in the Amsterdam and Dutch music scenes, and then internationally?
I think that happened quite early on. The Bimhuis was founded by Dutch musicians, and over time, international musicians came to Amsterdam, discovered the Bimhuis, and stayed here. There were always quite a few international musicians on the scene. Jazz is from the United States, so when American musicians were touring, it was natural to bring them here. In the early days, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, and Archie Shepp played here.
Amsterdam is an international hub, so it made sense. But it was mostly due to the musicians here. The ICP (Instant Composers Pool), Misha Mengelberg, Willem Breuker—they were doing something really different in jazz. At a certain point, they became known internationally. Willem Breuker, for example, became more famous in France than in the Netherlands at one point, and the ICP was famous around the world. In the Netherlands, people considered it quite normal.
Photo Credit: Maarten Nauw
What element made the Bimhuis into a key institution for jazz in Amsterdam, and then the whole of the Netherlands?
I think it’s partly because they were funded quite well from the beginning. The Dutch Jazz Foundation also took their office in the Bimhuis and was responsible for distributing subsidies for jazz in the Netherlands. This group of avant-garde musicians managed to get more support for avant-garde jazz, which wasn’t as mainstream as what was playing on TV stations in Hilversum, for example. They succeeded in securing more subsidies for jazz art and avant-garde music.
The Bimhuis also had strong connections with the musicians’ union. The "BIM" in Bimhuis stands for the "Beroepsvereniging voor Improviserende Musici" (Professional Union of Improvising Musicians). They founded the union in 1972, and by 1974 the Bimhuis was established. If you were a BIM member, you earned a minimum fee, which was quite good. This attracted musicians to the Bimhuis because it was a place where you’d be well-paid and respected, so it quickly became the place to be seen as a musician. At the same time, the audiences and press followed.
The club has a long history of pushing musical boundaries. It has provided support for avant-garde musicians, traditional jazz, and emerging talent. How does the club continue to innovate while honoring its rich traditions?
I can only speak for myself, but what I saw from my predecessor, Huub, was that he had a very open mind. He was deeply into improvisation but also embraced world music and other sounds. Around 2018, when we were approaching 45 years of the Bimhuis, we faced a significant deficit, and audience numbers declined. I remember the Bimhuis from the 80s when I first started going there—it was a high point with a lot happening musically. I was part of that scene, so I felt connected to the style of work.
For me, it was important to keep improvised music at the heart of the Bimhuis program, but we also needed to bring in more audiences. So, I took a broader approach to jazz programming. For example, I introduced a big band series, though I try to stay away from the ordinary. I’m always looking for special reasons to book groups, like focusing on unique developments or visions.
There's also a new audience for music that blends jazz with fusion, funk, hip-hop, and soul. We’ve had artists like Kassa Overall, who embodies the new jazz sound and appeals to the younger generation. Beyond that, we’ve also introduced a series called "Reflex," where we invite musicians to create new compositions with more focused development. It’s about more directed, innovative projects rather than just improvising freely on stage
What are some standout performances that you’ve witnessed at the Bimhuis, either as a visitor or after you became the programming manager?
One that stands out is David Binney with Scott Colley and Craig Taborn in a quartet around 2008—an amazing concert. I also remember a band called Humcrush with Ståle Storløkken from Norway. Before that, I saw John Zorn with several projects, including his Ornette Coleman tribute project "Spy vs. Spy," which, while not my favorite, was a memorable performance.
Among Dutch musicians, I clearly remember the Maarten Altena Quartet in the 80s. Maarten was a standout bass player who later became more of a composer. His quartet with Michael Moore and Ab Baars played freely improvised music, and their performances were something I remember fondly for the delicacy of the sound. Ernst Reijseger was one of my heroes, and that's why I asked him to fill an entire evening in our anniversary program this month. He was a frequent performer at the Bimhuis in the 80s and 90s, always bringing something fresh and new to the stage.
Sean Bergin was another. Sean was a really infamous musician who passed away around 10-12 years ago. He was an alto saxophonist from South Africa, living in Amsterdam. He had his own band, M.O.B., and it featured some big names like Han Bennink and Ernst Reijseger. Sean’s performances were vibrant, dynamic, and catchy. It was truly exciting and happening for me as a young guy in my twenties.
How has your experience as a musician informed your programming?
That's a very good question. In the beginning, I focused a lot on making musicians feel comfortable. I know what it's like to travel all day and then arrive at a club where no one is there to greet you or offer you a cup of coffee. It can feel disorienting—you’re in a new place, it’s late afternoon, still light outside, the stage is empty, and there’s nobody around. I’ve been in that position as a traveling musician, so I understand how it feels.
From a programming point of view, booking bands isn’t the hard part—it’s bringing in the audience. You have to think about how to convince people to buy a ticket for 20 euros, for example. It’s not just about selling, though, it’s about creating something exciting. How do you put certain musicians together to create something that people want to see?
That’s where the idea of double programs came from—combining different bands to make the event more engaging. For me, it starts with a passion for music. I get excited when I hear something new, something fresh, and that excitement drives me to want to present it on stage for an audience. And I understand how important an audience is. Playing for a small crowd is not ideal, and with improvised music, it can be particularly challenging to attract a large enough audience. So yes, there’s work to be done there, and I felt that someone had to do it.
Throughout October, you’ll be organizing over 50 concerts. How did you go about curating this lineup? Were there any specific genres or themes you wanted to explore?
At first, I wanted to give as many musicians as possible a place in the program. But I quickly realized that wasn’t going to work. I even thought about putting 50 musicians on stage at once! I made a plan, but it didn’t last long.
There are two key focuses for me. One is honoring the legacy of musicians who built Bimhuis—people like Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Willem Breuker, Hans Dulfer, and Ernst Reijseger. These musicians shaped this venue, and it’s important to remember that. The other focus is on creating new work. We’re giving the next generation of musicians the opportunity and space to create new music.
We have several new projects, like Reflex with Marta Varelis, a composition assignment with Tijn Wyrenga, and a special project for the entrance of Bimhuis connected to its history. Oscar Jan Hoogland is doing a project that blends older generations of musicians with newer ones to present the full, colorful history of the venue.
Photo Credit: Nenad Georgievski
It sounds like Bimhuis is more than just a jazz club; it’s a gathering place and a crossroads for musicians. How does it connect with other similar institutions internationally?
Visiting festivals is a big part of staying connected, and the Europe Jazz Network is very helpful in that. They organize conferences, an artistic exchange platform, and meetings where I can meet colleagues from places like Stuttgart and Cologne. We’re increasingly collaborating, exchanging talents, and creating joint programs.
We’re well-connected with venues like De Werf in Belgium, Jazzfest Berlin, Victoria in Oslo, and Unterfahrt in Munich, as well as Ronnie Scott’s in London and Le Dynamo in Paris. I regularly meet people from these venues to exchange ideas, and we try to feature their musicians here and send ours there. It’s a continuous exchange.
I’m also familiar with festivals like Saalfelden in Austria and Jazzfest Tampere in Finland. Every country in Europe has its own musical signature, and I love showcasing those differences, while also presenting our own sound abroad. There’s a lot of cross-border collaboration happening.
Photo Credit: Maarten Nauw
With 50 years of history, how do you envision the future of Bimhuis? What are your hopes for the next generation of musicians and fans?
It’s a bit concerning when you look at politics today, with more right-wing movements gaining ground. I believe culture should be subsidized, and that’s a concern for the future. When you look at the United States, many clubs survive without subsidies, but I think it’s essential for the arts to develop, and for young musicians to grow with some support.
For Bimhuis, I feel we’re in a strong position. We have a fantastic building, people want to come, our program is strong, and we’re selling more tickets than ever. Amsterdam has also developed a strong music scene. Many international musicians come here to study, and many stay. Others leave, but they still contribute to this community. Musicians support each other, and there’s a real sense of unity. It feels like everyone is contributing to the music we’re developing and presenting here.
So, the only thing I can hope is that we can continue. Maybe we can do more in the big hall next door, the Muziekgebouw. We already present five jazz concerts a year there in collaboration with them, and they sell out. There’s definitely an audience for that, so maybe we can expand.
In terms of the future, I actually see more growth in jazz than in classical music. That might sound strange, but I think jazz is more about the moment. We’re not playing music from 100 years ago; musicians are expressing themselves in real-time, reacting to what’s happening in the world or in the room. Jazz offers freedom—musicians can improvise, work with sounds, mix genres. It’s an open form that allows for expression in the moment, and I think that resonates with younger audiences.
So for me, that’s the future. I believe in it.