©
Greetje Van Buggenhout
Karen van Schaik
- Instruments : Writing, composition, arrangements, Alto saxophone, Baritone saxophone, Bb clarinet, Flute, sopranino saxophone
- Date of birth : 26/03/1981 - Eindhoven
Karen van Schaik is a gifted composer, saxophonist, improvisor and multidisciplinary artist, a creative centipede who takes nothing for granted and questions (often with a healthy dose of HU!mour!) what she sees around her.
She is in demand as a composer and arranger for various projects. Amongst her recent commissions are the creation of the music for circus show “Les Felûres de Mr. T” by acrobat Livia Jouan, arranging bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou’s compositions “Hymnos”, for “Bastogn’#Armonie” and “Dark Blue, Nearly Red”, for electric bass, lead vocals (lyrics by David Linx), small orchestra and choir, and creating the orchestral music for video game “Otters & Wizard Hats”.
When Karen finished her arrangement of Michel Hatzigeorgiou’s composition “Hymnos”, he wrote the following:
“I want to congratulate Karen on her extraordinary arrangement.
She brought joy and imagination to it with extraordinary skill.
Bravo, Karen, for elevating all the music that passes through your hands.”
As a saxophonist she performs with her band “HU!”, with Belgian circus company Be Flat’s multidisciplinary project “Living” and she plays saxophones and flute as a sideHU!man in several projects.
In 2021 Karen got the "carte blanche" of Brussels music production house MetX, which was the start of the creation of her project HU!. In 2024 HU! was selected for the Brussels Jazz Alert. After their concert for the Brussels Jazz Weekend on the outdoor stage on place Cathérine in Brussels, Mathieu Jouan of Citizen Jazz magazine wrote the following:
“…HU! by saxophonist Karen van Schaik. HU! is a project that carries meaning, a feminist and political message. Van Schaik has things to say and she surrounds herself with excellent musicians to do so. Among them is trumpeter Pierre-Antoine Savoyat. This very expressive music, written with a great sense of storytelling, caused a sensation (and pushed aside the clouds).”
In 2023 Karen got selected for the Academie de Composition Jazz#2 in Paris. Here she got tutoring from Stéphane Payen and her composition "Friendly Anger" got performed by the youth orchestra of the Orchestra National de Jazz (ONJ). In 2013 Karen played in The European Saxophone Ensemble, led by Guillaume Orti. This is where she discovered her passion for composition and free improvisation.
She currently studies jazz composition at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with film composer Michelino Bisceglia. She is planning to graduate for her Masters degree in June 2026.
As a former architecture student, she also draws, writes, does research and designs and makes furniture and costumes.
