'Be like a sponge; be curious and openminded, take in everything that is being offered to you and think in possibilities. At a certain point, when you squeeze the sponge, that one unique, hopefully nice and kind, musical personality comes to light.'
About the teacher
Phaedra Kwant plays bass guitar and double bass, is a vocalist, composer, lyricist (English and Dutch) producer, theatre maker, voice actress and music teacher.
She started her musical career in the Arnhem region, where she was born and raised, studied bass guitar at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and became the first female Master of Music bass guitar of The Netherlands.
Phaedra releases albums and singles regularly under her own name. She composes and produces jazz music, as well as popsongs and music for theatre, film and is the musical force behind an animation series for children that is broadcast internationally on tv and in cinemas.
Phaedra is a genuine musical chameleon, enjoying the diversity of playing and writing all kinds of music. Besides her own projects and being the singing bassist of Eric Vloeimans' HOTSPOT!, she plays as a sideman in bands of well-known Dutch artists like Claudia de Breij, Candy Dulfer, Fay Claassen, Veldhuis & Kemper, Do, 3Js, Mathilde Santing, Hans Dulfer, Krystl, Frederique Spigt, Hans Vermeulen, Lois Lane, Charly Luske, Ellen ten Damme, Martin Fondse, Mike Boddé, Mike del Ferro, Edwin Rutten, Chris Beckers, Hans Vandenburg, Leoni Jansen, Izaline Calister, Girls Wanna Have Fun and Sjors van der Panne and also with international stars like Debbie and Camille Sledge.
She always tours and performed many times internationally in countries like the United States, Japan, Senegal, India, Great Britain, Greece, Cuba, Germany, Spain, Russia, Thailand, France, Belgium, Italy, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, the United Emirates and the Dutch Antilles. Her jazz band toured in both Japan and the United States where a New York-newspaper dubbed her ‘The Dutch Sting’ and ‘Angel from the Netherlands’ after seeing her performance.
In 2016 Phaedra won the poll in magazine ‘De Gitarist’, being ‘The Best Jazz/Fusion bassist of the Benelux.’
She has been a passionate music teacher at several conservatories for many years.
