Fie Schouten bass clarinet
“Fie Schouten makes the bass clarinet ring with a gorgeous sound.” The Whole Note (CA)
“Goddess of the bass clarinet Fie Schouten” His Voice (CZ)
“it must also be mentioned that the album (Chambery 2018) as a whole has a clear artistic arc and musical clarity that is a welcome addition to the world of contemporary music and clarinet recordings” The Clarinet (USA)
To Play is Fie Schouten’s new solo project and 3rd solo album — a deeply personal statement about what she stands for as an artist. The album brings together four works by international composers (born in Germany, Greece, Italy, and Latvia), reflecting her commitment to geographical and gender diversity, and to close collaboration with living composers.
The album opens with Ludensic (2024) by Tobias Klein, inspired by Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens: a meditation on the significance of play in a world driven by efficiency and profit. Aspasia Nasopoulou’s 256 (2025) is inspired by the real story of two young people who tried to cross the sea searching for a new life. Roberto Bonati’s Black Wood Ebony Spirit (2025) is inspired by one of the most important lyrical Italian poets, in the tradition of the great classics and at the same time one of the most intense rebel and prophetical writer. The album comes full circle with Juste Janulyte’s Psalms (2008/2025) for four voices, looping back on itself as an invitation to start at the beginning again, so that the journey never quite ends.
Tracks
1) Tobias Klein: Ludensic (2024) 13:45
2) Aspasia Nasopoulou: 256 (2025) 12:57
3) Roberto Bonati: Black Wood Ebony Spirit (2025) 13:32
4) Juste Janulyte: Psalms (2008/2025) 11:18
https://on.soundcloud.com/HC3ogbxymJ7Yr5aFbV
recording, master Arjan van Asselt
location Het Witte Kerkje Simonshaven, 2025
release at NoBusinessRecords CC Series end 2026
Fie Schouten is a Dutch bass clarinetist internationally recognized for her work in contemporary music and free improvisation. Based in Amsterdam, she performs as a soloist and in leading ensembles. She is known for her warm, expressive sound and passion for the low clarinets, Schouten has premiered an eclectic catalogue of works written especially for her by composers from around the world. She has released numerous acclaimed recordings spanning contemporary composition and improvisation.
Alongside her concert career, she is artistic director and co-founder of the Basklarinet Festijn, an international festival dedicated to the bass clarinet, and co-curator of the Nieuwe Noten Amsterdam concert series. Schouten is also Professor of Bass Clarinet and Contemporary Music at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen, where she inspires a new generation of adventurous musicians.
About the composers
Based in Amsterdam since the early ’90s, Tobias Klein is a saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and composer whose music blends contemporary structures with cyclical techniques inspired by music from South Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa. As the artistic director of the ensemble Spinifex, as well as with numerous other ensembles and projects, he bridges the gap between contemporary jazz, improvised music and contemporary chamber music.
His work, featured on over 30 CDs, includes the 2018 chamber music collection Chambery (Attacca Records). Critics describe his compositions as “Joyous enchantment … the work of a playful mind.”
Aspasia Nasopoulou is a composer, pianist, and curator, born in Athens, based in Amsterdam. Her music possesses a poetic, evocative, and dynamic transparency. In her work, she often explores the synergy between music and theater by integrating new instruments, visuals, and dance. Inspired by literature, mythology, and philosophy from various cultures, she achieves a high degree of intimacy in her performances. She has written more than 90 compositions for a wide range of ensembles and soloists, which are performed internationally. Since January 2021, Aspasia has been the artistic director of Orkest De Ereprijs.
Roberto Bonati is a double bass player, composer, and conductor renowned for his innovative approach to music, blending composition and improvisation across genres. Deeply inspired by the interplay between music and literature; he has founded both the ParmaFrontiere Orchestra and the improvisation ensemble Chironomic Orchestra. His artistic journey has taken him to stages worldwide, with performances as a soloist and in ensembles. As Professor of Jazz Composition at the Conservatorio A. Boito in Parma and founder-artistic director of the ParmaJazz Frontiere festival, Bonati continues to shape the future of contemporary music.
Justė Janulytė is a Lithuanian composer known for atmospheric, monochromatic music that explores subtle shifts in sound and texture. Born in Vilnius and currently based in Milan. Her works often blend acoustic instruments with electronic elements, creating immersive sonic landscapes inspired by light, space, and movement. Janulytė’s compositions have been performed internationally by leading orchestras and ensembles at major contemporary music festivals across Europe.