Chaerin Im and the artists she works with – Batavierhuis x NSRT, read their bios →
Bio’s in English – Lees in het Nederlands
Chaerin Im – pianist I composer, based in Amsterdam & Seoul
“A defining voice in the new wave of European jazz.”
Chaerin Im’s musical identity is forged in the friction between two worlds. Her journey began in the high-pressure, rigid classical piano scene of Seoul, defined by a hunger for mastery and rapid adaptation. This foundation met its contrast in the Netherlands, where the academic rigor of Amsterdam provided a base, but the social grit of Rotterdam provided the soul.
As the 2026 Artist in Focus, Chaerin explores the “in-between” state. A nomadic artistic existence that refuses to be categorized. This trajectory marks a significant sound shift: a transition from the traditional jazz piano roots toward an electronic, synth-heavy landscape. For Chaerin, Rotterdam is the perfect laboratory for this research; it is a city that feels raw, industrial, and unrefined, yet remains socially open and deeply connected through its large Asian community.
Chaerin Im is the Artist in Focus for North Sea Round Town 2026. From 25 June to 12 July 2026, she will tour Rotterdam with her main project Phase Shift – A Sonic Collision of Seoul and Rotterdam, and a series of special performances in collaboration with various musicians and artists. View all of Chaerin Im’s concerts during North Sea Round Town here. Chaerin Im will develop and perform a total of nine concerts as part of this artistic trajectory.
Explore Explore the full concert series here →
Bio – Chaerin Im
Chaerin Im (b. 1999) is an unbounded and pioneering pianist and composer based in Amsterdam (NL). Her untamed electronic jazz blends influences from Floating Points, Dorian Concept, Salami Rose Joe Louis, and Sam Gendel. Chaerin explores in her compositions how digital processing can live alongside acoustic instruments without losing the energy of a live band. She is releasing a debut EP Olsen with her other project Neon River, and has performed with Jasper Høiby, Jamie Peet, and Reinier Baas at venues and festivals such as Bimhuis, November Music, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Paradiso.
Growing from her foundational roles in acoustic projects like the Sun-Mi Hong Quintet , Chaerin has firmly established herself as a forward thinking bandleader in 2024 and 2025. Her 2025 debut album Midnight Resets (Dox Records) completely abandons traditional jazz expectations. Instead, it crashes shimmering synthesizers and Korean indie into complex rhythmic structures. She continues this experimental streak with her late 2025 EP aïe aïe, featuring Otis Sandsjö, which leans more towards her envisioned hybrid sound.
The Dutch and European industry is paying close attention to this hybrid sound. Chaerin won First Prize at the Keep An Eye International Jazz Award and was named the 2024 Young Artist of the Year by NRC. Her unique sound also secured her a 2025 Edison Jazz Award nomination as a newcomer. Honed at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam , her music delivers a wide screen majesty where melodies constantly transform and evolve. She is the Artist in Focus for North Sea Round Town 2026, during which she will present new concerts and collaborations. Read more about Chaerin Im and the Artist in Focus program here.
Alessandro Fongaro, credits by Federico Castelli
Alessandro Fongaro (1991, Valdagno, Italy) is an Italian bassist and composer living in Rotterdam. Between 2014 and 2017, he led the young Alessandro Fongaro 5et, which debuted in 2016 with the album ‘Neither More nor less’ (Mainland Records). Alessandro leads and wrote music for the band Pietre (‘stones’ in Italian), a quartet he brought together during the lockdown (2021) and with which he is currently touring and receiving acclaim.
The lineup is remarkable, featuring drummer Sun-Mi Hong, saxophonists Nicolò Ricci and Jesse Schilderink, and Fongaro on double bass.
Fongaro created together with makers such as the Sun Mi Hong Quintet (winner of the Dutch Jazz Competition), Tijn Wybenga AM.OK, Nicolò Ricci’s Ambergris (winner of The Records 2022), Kika Sprangers Large Ensemble and Quintet, Sjoerd van Eijck’s OAK, Koeniverse 3 ft. Joris Roelofs (winner of The Records 2015), Robert Koemans Trio, BRAIN//CHILD, Allison Philips Trio, Rok Zalokar Trio, and ROEST. In recent years, he has also had the opportunity to perform with musicians such as Ben van Gelder, Reinier Baas, Jasper Blom, Bo van der Werf, Harmen Fraanje, Joris Roelofs, Tineke Postma, Joost Patocka, Mete Erker, Mark Schilders, and many others.
Since 2017, Fongaro has been a lecturer at Codarts (Conservatorry of Rotterdam). As part of the Sun Mi Hong Quintet he won the Dutch Jazz Competition in 2018 and the Edison Award in 2019.
In 2022 Alessandro was awarded The Pack Project by Jazz International Rotterdam, a composition assignment which result was presented at festivals RAUW (Festival Jazz International Rotterdam) and Festival Jazz International Nijmegen. In 2024 Alessandro was chosen as “Artist in focus” by the festival North Sea Round Town. In 2025 he was asked to join the Stadtgarten Composers Ensemble, a project promoted by NICA Artists Development and Bimhuis with the purpose of nurturing the musical axe between The Netherlands and Cologne (DE). Fongaro is part of the Batavierhuis , a unique makerspace for Rotterdam musicians.