Gerard Cornielje



Gerard Cornielje, Baron von Saxen is a musician and poet who has been performing and writing for over 35 years now. Born in 's-Heerenberg in The Netherlands, he started his musical career in the Joe Miller Big Band where he learnt the trade and the score. He published his first book at the tender age of 16.

Baron von Saxen since broadend his horizons and performed in over 60 countries worldwide, presenting his unique mix of sax playing, singing and poetry.

Press Quotes
"It takes a cool Dutchman to write hot poems on Spain - Cornielje von Saxen could be a child of Andalucía - or indeed a grandchild of Lorca!" -The Spain Herald- 

"To watch Baron Cornielje von Saxen on stage is to watch a true showman. He shakes his hips, wriggles, pouts and gets up to all sorts of antics" -The Nation- 

"Everyone I spoke to at Timber and Rock, Phuket was impressed by him. The guys admired his skill and the girls appreciated his biceps… -Phuket Gazette- 

"Even though he isn't using a microphone, people lean in the door to get a glimpse of the man. As he plays or recites his poetry, he shuns the stage to stroll through the crowd. Very impressive".  -Phuket Magazine- 

"Singer, Musician and Poet Gerard Cornielje is helping us to raise funds in 2011" -Toe to Heart Newsletter Januari 2011- 

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">"The man is a thorough entertainer, on stage and off!" <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> -Catherine Rea Roy -The Hindu Bangalore -2011-

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">"Gerard is a musician filled with passion, energy and spontaneity" <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">-Mary E. Laluna - Artsees Diner - 2010-

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Family History
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Gerardus Wilhelmus Theodorus Cornielje, Baron von Saxen, is the son of Gerhard Everhard Cornielje (born September 11, 1926 in Emmerich am Rhein) and Maria Hippmann (born May 1, 1928 in 's-Heerenberg) and a direct descendant of Baroness Marie Le Pesant de Bois-Guilbert and Magistrate Pierre Corneille, parents of poets Pierre Corneille, Seigner D'Anville and Thomas Corneille Seigneur de L'Isle.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Magistrate Pierre Corneille was knighted by King Louis XIII in the year 1637 (not without help from his son Pierre, whose work Le Cid was a great success in that year and who became through the ennoblement of his father 'born noble'). <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Letters of nobility were again handed in favour of Thomas and Pierre by King Louis XIV in 1669 after the revocation of the original ennoblement under pressure of Richelieu. (Richelieu objected to the content of the play 'Le Cid' and was envious of the sudden rise of his former protégé Pierre Corneille). <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">The title of Pierre Corneille the younger was Écuyer (Squire) Pierre Corneille Seigneur d'Anville, an inheritable title adorned with land and a fixed annual income. This title changed from Écuyer to Chevalier (Knight) after the death of his father.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">From maternal side Cornielje descends from the family Hippmann von Böhmen. Ennoblement letters were given to the family in the year 1733, when Johann Paul Hippmann was elevated to the rank of Freiherr (Baron) because of his achievements as administrator in service of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">After the French Revolution in 1789, the noble family Corneille escaped from the guillotine to the North: part of the family fled to The Netherlands, other family members fled towards Germany, Austria and Bohemia. The name Corneille became Cornielje as it was custom at the time to adjust French names to easily understandable ones for the natives of their newly adapted home countries and perhaps as well for fear of the long arm of the revolution.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Art
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Gerard Cornielje is best known for his live performances in which he combines reciting poetry with jazz saxophone playing, usually accompanied by a drummer and/or a double bass player. His poetry can be classified as Neo-Romantic Expressionism and is filled with tales surrounding his travels and music. Cornielje's music is a mix of jazz and blues, performed singing, playing alto-and tenor saxophones as well as blues harp. Cornielje has been performing for over 35 years and on his journeys integrated many ethnic music styles into his music. A good example is his collaboration with gnawa musicians from Morocco, a country where he performs several times a year. The combination of poetry, jazz and world music is the core of Cornielje's repertoire.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Charity
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Since 2010 Cornielje has been ambassador of the Toe-to-Heart Trust in Bangalore promoting the trust worldwide on his tours. The Toe-to-Heart Trust was founded 8 years ago in Bangalore by Thomas van Berckel from the Netherlands and provides shelter to children from the slums of Bangalore.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Recent
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">On the first of May 2011 Cornielje received a literary prize: <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">De Zilveren Brandnetel 

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">In October 2012 Gerard Cornielje will receive the title ' Knight of Castle Bergh', <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">an honorary title representing Castle Bergh in 's-Heerenberg <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> in the Netherlands <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">as an ambassador.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Baron Cornielje von Saxen currently lives in Zürich, Switzerland.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Latest Books
'''<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">In Exsilium (2007)  <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">The Incredible Tales of Baron von Saxen (to appear mai 2013) '''

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Latest Recordings
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Sax on the Beach (2011) 

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">God Bless the Child (2011) 

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Blue door (2012)