Biography

Annette Kruisbrink was born in 1958 in Amsterdam. She learned music at her mother’s knee. As a kid she had piano lessons for a few years and composed a few pieces for this instrument. At the age of twelve she took up the guitar and started playing as an autodidact with Johan B. Kok’s guitar method. When her graduation at high school was due, she decided to study guitar at the Zwolle Conservatory with Pieter van der Staak.

She started composing at am early age on the piano. As a teenager she wrote songs with guitar accompaniment, on the Conservatory, she brought her composition skills at professional level. After her graduation on the guitar she attended the follow-up in composition and many master classes on the subject. With her compositions she often explores other styles, various ensembles and rare instruments like a Concertina and a Carillon.

She covers a wide range with her compositions. From hardcore contemporary to pleasantly modern with at times a wink to traditional forms. Because she is also a very active guitarist in solo and ensemble playing, guitar music is tightly rooted in her composition style. She often works on assignment and won various prizes with her compositions. In the meantime, with her over 382 compositions, she is one of the most prolific guitar composers in The Netherlands.

Music

Even though Annette Kruisbrink has been active as a composer as long as I play the guitar, I never had heard of her, let alone played one of her compositions. This changed when I started to visit guitar festivals in the beginning of this century. Via a competition I got acquainted with her music and experienced a lot of fun playing it. On this page you will find some of these pieces, as sound and story, copyright restrictions prevent me from sharing the scores.