BIOGRAPHY

At the moment he pursues the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music with Dr. Chien-Kwan Lin. He received his Master’s degree as well as a postgraduate specialization degree in performance, both with highest distinction, at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, Belgium, studying under Hans de Jong. During an exchange year he studied under Rodrigo Vila at the Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears in Mallorca, Spain.

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Floris specializes in contemporary and experimental repertoire, often working together with composers to highlight new works. In a collaboration with the composer Wim Henderickx, he premiered the concerto Empty Mind I for soprano saxophone and live electronics. As an artist committed to interdisciplinary performances, Floris wrote and directed his own music and dance theatre ‘MOIRA – Ode to a Life of Failure’ under the coaching of Muziektheater Transparant, which premiered in 2019.

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Besides performing, Floris is an active researcher. His research contributes to his performance, and vice versa, to solidify a substantiated practice in every aspect of the art. His doctoral research encompasses the repertoire of Boulez and its use of extramusical elements, providing theoretical background for interdisciplinary collaborations.

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Floris is the 2020 Laureate of the ‘Oranjebeurs’ for music, awarded by the Consulate of the Netherlands, and was awarded a grant for his studies in the US by the organization Inspiratum. At the Eastman School of Music he obtained the position of teaching assistant as a Graduate Award. Having studied conducting as a minor during his Master’s, Floris was the assistant-conductor of l’Orquestra del Conservatori Superior de les Illes Balears in 2018. He participated in many masterclasses with renowned saxophonists such as Timothy McAllister, Arno Bornkamp, Ryo Noda, Lars Mlekusch, Vincent David, Joonatan Rautiola, Jérôme Laran, and Nicholas Prost.