Reinier Baas (1985) is a guitarist, composer and recording artist from the Netherlands with a DIY approach and an idiosyncratic body of work. He has released 11 records as a (co-)leader, with a wide variety of styles. His critically acclaimed albums Mostly Improvised Instrumental Indie Music and the ambitious Reinier Baas vs. Princess Discombobulatrix both earned him an Edison Award (the Netherland's most prestigious music award).

Baas’ music is characterised by ‘unpredictability with a reassuring sense of overall form.’ A description of The New York City Jazz Record reads: ‘The music was assembled in unusual ways. Arcane harmonies suggest Bartók or Stravinsky, but then structures would fracture and hip-hop rhythms would suddenly hit hard and then everything would become wild flurries and improvised cacophonies before the music returned to solemn, orderly, if angular forms.’

Currently, Baas is a member of the Hammond-trio Deadeye, Benjamin Herman’s punk/jazz group Bughouse and the Peter Gall Quintet. He works with partner-in-crime Ben van Gelder - a fellow faculty member - as a duo regularly, sometimes featuring legendary drummers Han Bennink or Jeff Ballard as guests.

As a composer, he has written works for Pynarello Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest and the WDR Big Band, as well as commissions for the North Sea Jazz Festival, Royal Concertgebouw, Bimhuis, Südtirol Jazzfestival and November Music.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Metropole Orkest, National Youth Orchestra, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, WDR Big Band, CvA Concert Big Band and the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, among others.

Baas has performed with many notable musicians, including Louis Cole, David Binney, Fuensanta, Dave Douglas, Cory Smythe, Marta Warelis, Hans Teeuwen, Ramon Valle, Nora Fischer, Jesse van Ruller, Mary Halverson and Gregory Porter.

Reinier Baas is the artistic director and conductor of the Dutch Youth Jazz Orchestra (NJJO) for its class of ’25/’26.