Efe Erdem 2021

Turkish trombonist and composer, central figure in classical and pop.

Incomparable drive

Efe Erdem (1989) is a trombonist with an incomparable drive. With roots in Turkey, he came to Rotterdam to study music. Here he grew to become a key figure in the jazz, urban and classical scenes, but he’s also active in very different fields.

The trombone as the human voice

Erdem has recorded solo records and is a member of the Re:Freshed Orchestra, which debuted on the leading hip-hop label Top Notch. He has composed music for string quartet, yet he’s just as comfortable playing for Di-rect and Doe Maar. Erdem plays trombone the way he’d like to sing: ‘The trombone comes very close to the human range of voice. If you can play, you can sing. And if you can sing, you can play.’