The Netherlands is a creative hub for emerging jazz talent. Take Qisheng Zheng (stage name: Qniverse) for instance, who was born in China but is now rooted in the Netherlands. She is a jazz flutist, singer and composer of music that is as fluid and layered as her life's journey. With her Q-tet, she creates a sound world where East meets West, folk traditions meet modern jazz, and where stories unfold through melody, rhythm and stillness. Her album Am I Alive?, which she recorded with her quintet, is enhanced by the likes of Norbert Lensink (saxophone), Philipp Rütgers (keyboards, temporarily replaced by Jeroen van Vliet at the festival), Tijs Klaassen (bass) and Wouter Kühne (drums). Connoisseurs call Qniverse a 'force of nature', as her creativity, productivity and life energy is as contagious as it is inspiring. Q plays, composes, improvises, paints, uses spoken word, raps, dances, is a band leader, and an absolute powerhouse on stage. One of her teachers describes her as ‘a kind of esperanza spalding meets young Björk’.
