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Jaap Blonk, born in 1953 in Woerden, Holland, is a self-taught composer, voice performer, and sound poet. His unfinished studies in physics, mathematics, and musicology fostered a penchant for Dada-inspired activities, influenced by various unsuccessful jobs in structured environments. In the late 1970s, Blonk began playing the saxophone and composing music. A breakthrough came when he discovered the power and flexibility of his voice, leading him to become a prolific writer/composer and a specialist in sound poetry performance, characterized by a powerful stage presence and a childlike freedom in improvisation. He has performed across many European countries, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Indonesia, South Africa, and Latin America. Blonk has collaborated with numerous musicians and ensembles in contemporary and improvised music, including Paul Lytton, Mats Gustafsson, Michael Zerang, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Melvyn Poore, Paul Dutton, Nicolas Collins, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and the Ebony Band. He has performed in several works by German composer Carola Bauckholt, including a piece for voice and orchestra, and a solo voice piece commissioned by the Donaueschinger Musiktage in 2002. He founded and leads Splinks, a 15-piece orchestra that performs his compositions, and Braaxtaal, an avant-rock trio featuring synthesizer and drums. Additionally, he runs his own record label, Kontrans.

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