Saxophonist Marike van Dijk (1982) is a rising star to be reckoned with. Her debut album, Patches of Blue, was recently released with her own compositions that are striking for their lyrical melodies and solid grooves. Van Dijk worked on the album with leading young musicians: Marzio Scholten on guitar, Franz von Chossy on piano, Joost Kroon and Mark Schilders on drums and the recent Deloitte Award winner Ruben Samama on double bass. Van Dijk started playing the sax at age eleven. When she was about fourteen, she was captivated by jazz after hearing a local big band performing. At the Rotterdam Conservatory, Van Dijk was taught by Benjamin Herman. In 2006, she graduated cum laude and a year later she left for New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music. Her teachers there included Bob Mintzer and Garry Dial. This summer she is making her debut appearance at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
