ABOUT

Eva van Gunsteren

Eva van Gunsteren was born into a musical family in Holland. At 8 years old she joined the local brass band playing the trumpet. In her teens she moved to Switzerland where her love for jazz grew. Already at the age of 13 she had regular gigs with a Jazz, Latin and Funk Band called Crumblin' Cookie, playing the trumpet and doing background vocals.

Trumpet

At 15 she toured with the Israeli Band "Bella Donna" through Switzerland, Germany and France. She attended the Jazz School of Zurich getting trumpet lessons from Swiss talents Daniel Schenker and Robert Morgentaler.

Focus on singing

In her twenties, she decided to give up the trumpet and focus on singing, getting lessons from Swedish jazz singer Marianne Racine. It was then when she started her own band (Eva van Gunsteren Quartet, later Eva van Gunsteren & Band), as well as a duo with pianist Martin Eigenmann.

Apart from regular monthly performances at the renowned Kaufleuten Lounge and at the Nietturm Bar in Zurich, they performed at Swiss jazz clubs, private and corporate functions, as well as public events.

From jazz to bossa nova

In 2006 she went to Brazil for 2 months to learn Portuguese and master the art of bossa nova singing.

Canada Vancouver

After moving to Canada and starting a family she took a break from professional singing. But at the end of 2019, after settling in the Vancouver area, she decided to re-ignite her music career and follow her passion.

On the eve of her first gig, the pandemic threw a wrench into her plans, like it did for everyone around the world, but since 2022 she's back with even more passion.

Her repertoire ranges from jazz standards to bossa novas.

WHERE I WANT TO GO…

I recently realized that it is time to create more space for myself again. After years of devoting my energy to my children, I had to find more time for the things that I love other than my family.

Love

There are a lot of things that I love. I love my people, I love music, I love travelling, I love languages, I love my profession of civil engineering, I love sailing, I love reading, I love the outdoors, I love art, I love food and wine… But, what was striking to me was the realization that what I missed most wasn’t my civil engineering career - which involuntary went on hold when immigrating to Canada and which had always given me a lot of satisfaction - but it was the singing.

Energy out of nowhere

Of course, if you love singing, you always sing and never really stop. But when I decided to re-ignite my music career and actively get back into singing with other musicians, this energy has just shown up out of nowhere and I feel like I am on a constant high.

Musical soul mates

I want to use this energy.  To improve my singing (take lessons again with amazing singers out there willing to share), to use that new knowledge on my old repertoire and learn new songs, and to find new musical soul mates (as my old ones are all too far away), who share this love of jazz and bossa nova with me and to learn from them and make beautiful music together. Be it in a jazz club, at a bar surrounded by jazz lovers or at some jazz lovers’ home.

All you need is less

My goal isn’t to have as many gigs as I can – my family still needs me and I need them – but to do ones that are fulfilling for all involved. All you need is less.