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Born in 1956 in Boston, Rothenberg graduated from Oberlin College and studied at Oberlin Conservatory, Berklee School of Music, privately with Les Scott (saxophone & clarinet), and George Coleman (jazz improvisation). However, his trademark solo technique is self-taught. He has received grants and commissions from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Arts Council, Cary Trust, Lila Wallace Foundation, Chamber Music America, Asian Cultural Council, Roulette, Jerome Foundation, Meet the Composer, Japan Society and ASCAP. Ned Rothenberg composes and performs on saxophones, clarinets, flute and shakuhachi (an end blown Japanese bamboo flute). He has been internationally acclaimed for his solo music which he has presented for the past 25 years in hundreds of concerts throughout North and South America, Europe and Japan. He has lead the ensembles Double Band, Power Lines and Sync (his most recent assemblage with Jerome Harris, acoustic guitar & acoustic bass guitar and Samir Chaterjee, tabla) and was a founding member of the cooperative group New Winds (now with Robert Dick, flutes and Herb Robertson, Trumpet). He has worked in other projects with Paul Dresher, Yuji Takahashi, Sainkho Namchylak, Masahiko Sato, Elliott Sharp, Samm Bennett, John Zorn, Katsuya Yokoyama, Evan Parker and Marc Ribot. He's lived and worked in New York City since 1978. Rothenberg's musical interests are numerous and his work varies widely in its sonic, emotive and stylistic profiles. A strong underlying element of his instrumental voice is the extension of the woodwind language to incorporate polyphony and accurate microtonal organization through the manipulation of multiphonics, circular breathing, and overtone control, not only using his horns in their standard melodic role but also as rhythmic and harmonic engines in both solo and ensemble contexts. As a composer he can move from "Jazz-funk in cubist perspective, dizzying, yet visceral" (J. Pareles, NY Times re Double Band) to a solo music that is "intense, slightly melancholic, rhapsodic without being sentimental (E. Rothstein, NY times), while avoiding the use of mere effect- "crafting distinct, evocative compositions that boast shape as well as texture" N. Tesser, (Chicago Reader). Rothenberg's frequent international travels have included a 6-month residency in Japan during which he performed his music and studied shakuhachi with two of the foremost masters of the instrument, Goro Yamaguchi and Katsuya Yokoyama. In the summer of '89 he toured the (then) Soviet Union with Tom Cora (cello), Peter Hollinger (drums) and Elliott Sharp (guitars). In October '92 he returned to Russia and the Baltics in duo with the Tuvan vocalist Sainkho Namchylak. In January 2002 he travelled to South Korea for the first time to work with saxophonist Kang Tae Hwan and percussionist Park Ji-Chun. These are just a few examples: international touring continues each year playing festivals, theatres and clubs as a leader or collaborator. This double CD-set is the companion to the final book reporting on the activities of Het Apollohuis. The recordings on these CDs give an idea of the music and the sound art presented in concerts at Het Apollohuis in the priod from 1980 through 1997. Out of a total of 500 performances I chose 38, from which exceprts of varying lenght have been included in this anthiology. These have been arranged in chronological order. The diversity of the selected pieces is characteristic of the programme of Het Apollohuis. Only limited number of composers and musicians who performed can be heard in brief fragments o these discs. Consequently a considerable number has been excluded. There simply was no way to include them all (this selection does not imply we value one above the other). The choice of the particular musicians has been my responsability (P: Panhuysen). liner notes: René van Peer sound selection: René Adriaans mastering: Frank Donkersgoed design: Tom Homburg, Marcel d'Anjou (Opera)