Jouke Hoekstra

Jouke Hoekstra (1948) studied the trumpet with Theo Laanen en Anne Bijlsma and orchestral conducting with Peet van Bruggen at the conservatories of The Hague and Groningen. For twelve years he played solo trumpet in the Royal Military Band. He has been active as remplacent in many symphony orchestra’s, such as the Residentie Orchestra from the Haque. He currently teaches small brass instruments at the music school of Bolsward, Friesland. In this position he helped form the Frysk Fanfare Orchestra, whose conductor he has been since its foundation in 1983.

Jouke Hoekstra has been responsible for many new compositions, especially written at his request for the Frysk Fanfare Orchestra, from important dutch composers for example: Bernard van Beurden,  Frans Vermeerssen, Alexander Comitas (Ed de Boer), Cornelis de Bondt, Hardy Mertens and Leon Vliex.. He has also layd contacts with foreign composers, for example Nuno Leal (Portugal) and Marco Pütz (Luxembourg), who has made several compositions for the Frysk Fanfare Orchestra.   With the  FFO he has taken part in many festivals and competitions, invariably winning a first prize, often with distinction. Highlights are winning of first prize at the 1985 World Music Contest Kerkrade, first prize at an international contest at Rastede (Germany)in 1988, the highest distinction at a competition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the World Music Contest Foundation in 1991, and winning the champion’s title in the Fanfare Band concert division of the Kerkrade World Music Contest in 1989 and 1993. In 1995 he took part with the FFO in the Open Dutch Championships in the Concert Division, fanfare band section at Kerkrade, with the result of a first prize with distinction.  In 1999 the band won its second championship there. In 2003 he took part again with the FFO in the Open Dutch Championships in the Concert Division, fanfare band section at Kerkrade, where he received with the FFO a first prize with distinction. In 1991 Jouke Hoekstra and the FFO have been awarded with a cultural prize of the province of Friesland: “De Zilveren Anjer”. With the FFO he has made an impressive number of CD releases and has made many recordings for radio and television programs. Jouke Hoekstra has been active as a conductor in England, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg, America, Estonia, Litouwen, Belgium, Austria and Denmark.

Apart from the Frysk Fanfare Orkest, Jouke Hoekstra is conductor of the fanfare orchestras Oranje Minnertsga and de Harmonie Sneek. Jouke Hoekstra is asked a lot as guest conductor and is asked as examiner and member of the jury during national and international festivals and contests.