Guitarist – Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra

Born in the Netherlands in 1994, Merlin Breij moved to Switzerland at age 5. His musical journey began in early childhood as Merlin started out with the French horn, captivated by its melancholic and powerful timbre. After several years of practice, he then switched to the guitar, which opened the path to study and explore a rich and diverse musical world, including Jazz, Rock, and classical music.

Merlin began his jazz studies at the EJMA (School of Jazz and Pop Music) and then at the HEMU (University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lausanne) for his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance. Currently he’s pursuing his Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy with renowned teachers at the HEMU developing and refining his musical approach.

Besides performance Merlin is passionate about composition and arrangement. He’s just as enamoured by improvisation, where expression and interplay are at the forefront. He had composed for musical projects such as ‘Cerulean Poppy’, ‘Hommage à Emanuel Carnevali’ and ‘Ink’ from the get go of his musical studies.