Raoul van der Weide is a classical trained violonist switching to contrabass in his late teens, focusing and systematically exploring the limitless challenges of the contrabass as an improvising soloist and an ensemble player as well.
He worked with a variety of excellent improvisers like Guus Janssen, Paul Termos, Misha Mengelberg, Tristan Honsinger, Ab Baars, Ernst Reyseger, Conny Bauer, Lol Coxhill, Michael Moore, Mark Charig, Gunda Gottschalk, Han Bennink, Wolter Wierbos, Jeb Bishop, Frank Rosaly, Louis Moholo and others.
He initiated in 2010 an 10 piece ensemble called ‘The White Noise Orchestra’ with focus on collective improvisation in low dynamic areas connected with autonomous improvised dance.
In 2009 he started the monthly ‘OORSPRONG curators series’ in Amsterdam – a multidisciplinary improv curators platform presenting each month 3 highy unprecedented line-ups/sets created by 3 invited curators from improv dance, electronics and acoustic instrumental background – oorsprong.wordpress.com