One of the finest young saxophonists in Europe today, Bart Wirtz has a flexible and versatile style that ranges from hard bop to freer explorations. A logical extension of such giants as Jackie McLean, Frank Morgan and Art Pepper among others, Wirtz has his own sound and open-minded approach to playing jazz. Born in the Netherlands, he attended the Rotterdam Conservatory, winning several honors (including the Erasmus Jazz Prize, the Leiden Jazz Award and the Breda Jazz Prize) while in the conservatory. Wirtz graduated in 2002 and then spent a half-year in New York. Returning to Amsterdam, he became very busy with his career and has not stopped since. Bart Wirtz has become an important member of five different jazz groups. The Young Sinatras is a ten-piece band that includes singer Paul van Kessel. Monsieur Dubois is quite a bit different in style, mixing together funk, soul jazz, jungle beats and Afro grooves. Monsieur Dubois has thus far recorded two CDs for Challenge: Ruff and Soul Integration. The Artvark Saxophone Quartet gives Wirtz another separate area of music to explore. The a capella quartet, grooves while also being open to playing free and adventurous solos and ensembles without the comfort of a rhythm section. Wirtz describes the 16-piece Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra as “the best young Dutch musicians in one big band conducted by Johan Plomp.” With his previous album iDreamer he won a Edison Jazzism Audience award in 2012.

After two years of preparation and hard solid work behind the scene, ARTVARK SQ shows itself in 2004 to the world at the Jazzfestival in Amersfoort (NL). Innovating own compositions, jazz-soloists with distinctive own styles and the adventurous groove of four saxophones. Rolf Delfos (alto/soprano), Bart Wirtz (alto), Mete Erker (tenor) and Peter Broekhuizen (baritone) produce with their different backgrounds an unanimous, creative and original sound: THE SOUND OF ARTVARK. After a flying start at Dutch Jazzfestivals and the overwhelming reactions to those concerts, the first CD, 'Artvark the Jazz Saxophone Quartet', was released in ‘05. The CD was very well received by the press, including a four star rating CD-review in the authoritative Dutch newspaper ‘De Volkskrant’.
Since then the quartet performed in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, both on bigger stages as in the intimacy of chamber music settings. Unique was the double bill with ZAPP STRING QUARTET, with special arrangements for the combination of the two quartets. A highlight in March ’09 was the collaboration of ARTVARK with Mr. PETER ERSKINE (USA, Steps Ahead/Weather Report) and Mr. DOUDOU n’DIAYE ROSE (Senegal, Miles Davis/Rolling Stones). Special music was written for this beautiful project by Martin Fondse (check YouTube).
Recently Artvark toured with the project ‘busy, busy, busy’, a joined venture with NEW NIKS, the quartet of dummer Arend Niks. Premiere of ‘bbb’ was in the famous jazz club the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, live recorded by VPRO radio. In October ‘09 the CD of ‘bbb’ was released in De Doelen in Rotterdam (NL). In November ’09 ASQ appeared with this project on Dutch television in ‘Vrije geluiden’, a very fine live music program for both classical and jazz performers.