Stephanie Francke is an alto and soprano saxophone player based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She started playing the saxophone at the age of 9. In 2012 she graduated from Rotterdam School of the Arts (Codarts). That same year Stephanie won the prestigious Erasmus Jazz Award, named after the illustruous philosopher/author/humanist. “Her music is music that you long for”, according to the jury. In 2013 Stephanie reached to the finals of the European Jazz Competition and performed at the North Sea Jazzfestival, after releasing her debut album ‘Florigen’. On her following cd ‘Ripples’ she presents “music that is soulful and original with an acute sensibility for tradition; impassioned, mature, beautiful and lest we forget, it swings”, says saxophonist Ben van den Dungen.

Photo: Corina Sprokkelenburg

‘Ripples’ shows that Stephanie Francke is on a musical path that is very much her own, telling her tales from New York (Limousine) to Zeeland (The Beach Cabin), the Dutch peninsula where she was born. Francke also finds inspiration in the works of the Japanese author Haruki Murakami.
“Ripples consists of beautiful, contemporary, and often lyrical work. Stephanie has assembled a monumental band”, says trumpeter Eric Vloeimans.
“Open, playful, daring, sometimes melancholic and poetic, that is the music of Stephanie Francke” - Jazzism (NL)

Stephanie Francke - saxophones;
Koen Schalkwijk - piano;
Guus Bakker - double bass;
Niek de Bruijn - drums;
Elizabeth Simonian - vocals.