Jan Molenaar arranger

Mr. Jan Molenaar (born 1936) studied the piano with Mr. Wim Meyns and Mr. Ber Joosen and he completed his education at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He also studied conducting and instrumentation with Mr. Gerard H. Boedijn and the organ with Mr. Cor Kee. At the age of 17 he was appointed conductor - at that time the youngest conductor in the Netherlands - to the Fanfare Band 'Eensgezindheid' (= Unity) at Wormer (Northern Holland). In 1958 he joined Molenaar's Muziekcentrale NV, a publishing firm specialised in wind band music. in 1962 he took over full responsibility for the complete publis-hing port folio from his father Mr. Pieter Jan Molenaar. The publishing firm, which is headed and run by Mr. Jan Molenaar and his brother mr. Bob Molenaar, expanded to one of the largest music publishers in the world, specialised in wind band music. The company is represented in over 30 countries. Apart from the business commitments Mr. Jan Molenaar holds several positions on the boards of the BUMA (Dutch music copyright Bureau). He was President 1987-1989 from W.A.S.B.E. (World Associa-tion for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) and was appointed honorary life member in 1991. In the musical field he acted as guestconductor of among others: the U.S. Air Force band, Purdue Univer-sity Band; G.U.S. Footwear Brass band and the celebrated Banda Primitiva de Lliria (Spain) and it was with the latter orchestra that he was appointed Honorary Conductor. He wrote a number of arrangements for Symphonic Windband and Fanfare band and has conducted his own jazz orchestra, Jan Molenaar Big Band, since 1968. Jan Molenaar conducted the VanderCook Band already in 1969 also during the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic.