Why I Chose Backun
"Changing to a Backun Bass Clarinet marks the beginning of a new chapter in my long professional career. A change I am extremely excited about, as the qualities of my new instrument – both mechanically and acoustically – are an ongoing artistic inspiration.
Playing a Backun instrument feels like I finally came home. Every time I pick up my bass clarinet it brings me joy and puts a smile on my face, as it feels so easy to produce my signature sound on the Backun Bass."
About
Henri Bok (b. 1950, Rotterdam, Netherlands) is one of the world’s leading voices on the bass clarinet - performer, composer, improviser, educator, and innovator.
Originally trained in French Literature and Linguistics at Leiden University, Bok shifted focus midstream to pursue music. He earned his diplomas in saxophone and bass clarinet cum laude at the Rotterdam Conservatoire, studying under Leo van Oostrom and Harry Sparnaay.
A pioneer in the field, Bok has redefined the bass clarinet’s role through bold new collaborations and sound pairings. His many ensembles include Duo Contemporain (with marimba/vibraphone), Duo Novair (accordion), Bass Instincts (bass oboe), Duo Clarones (with Luis Afonso ‘Montanha’), Duo HeRo (with jazz pianist Rob van Bavel), and Hevans (with tenor saxophonist Eleri Ann Evans). He has premiered hundreds of works written for him by composers across genres, from classical to jazz to experimental, collaborating with artists like Gustavo Beytelmann, Mike Garson, Louis Sclavis, Dawn Upshaw, and Eric Vloeimans.
From 1981 to 2015, Bok was professor of bass clarinet and free improvisation at the Rotterdam Conservatoire (Codarts). He continues to teach at Fontys University of the Arts (Tilburg), Musikene (San Sebastián), and serves as guest professor at the Robert Schumann Hochschule (Düsseldorf).
Bok launched the first-ever World Bass Clarinet Convention in 2005, attracting over 500 players worldwide. His landmark book, New Techniques for the Bass Clarinet (1989, revised 2011), remains a standard reference for performers and composers working with extended techniques.
As a composer, Bok’s catalogue includes numerous solo and chamber works - many using microtonality - published by Shoepair Music. His first piece, Vinho do Porto Brasileiro (1997), launched a prolific composing career rooted in sonic exploration.
In 2014, Bok was knighted by King Willem-Alexander as a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, honoring his extraordinary impact on music. He earned his PhD at Leiden University in 2018 with the dissertation The Deep-Rooted Microtonality of the Bass Clarinet.
Henri Bok is a Backun Artist and performs on a Backun Q Series Bass Clarinet.
