Leo van Oostrom

Leo van Oostrom was born 1942 in The Hague, the Netherlands.

He studied clarinet (with Jolle Huckriede) and saxophone (with Adriaan Bosch) at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague. Following his final exams he was awarded the Fock Medal for best student of the year and is since than much in demand as a saxophonist in various symphony-orchestras.

From 1969 on he is soprano-saxophonist  with the Nederlands Saxofoon Kwartet which concentrates on traditional and contemporary repertory and was awarded the Johan Wagenaar Prize in 1980.

Since 1981 Leo van Oostrom teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and gave annual master-classes in Sweden.

From 1992 untill 2003 he was Lead-Alto in The Metropole Orchestra.

He frequently plays with the ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble, Ebony Band, Waterland Ensemble, David Kweksilber Big Band, Kwartoet, Beau Hunks, Andor’s Jazzband, Trio Amici, Saxophobia and That’s Jazz.

The duo with pianist Wolfgang Watzinger performs trhe classical saxophone-repertoire in its widest sence and Saxophobia with pianist Eddy van Dijken presents music from Wiedoeft and Trumbauer  as well as a demo/concert wtih 15 historical saxophones ranging from 1854 till 1960.  

His solo-work includes appearances with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In 1969 van Oostrom started what would eventually turn into the world’s largest saxophone collection. He recently published his book “100 + 1 saxen”, in which his whole

       collection is shown, within a historical perspective.