Armand’s multicultural, Indo-Dutch-Creole heritage has always fueled his interest in blending contemporary jazz with diverse musical traditions. His own music has been called ‘very atmospheric folk-jazz’ and also ‘modern jazz with Nordic sounds’ in the media.

'Van Wijck's chromatic harmonica playing is extraordinary elegant, sparkling and mournful.' – Ján Hocek, SKJazz (SK)

Currently based in Stockholm, but originally from the Netherlands, Armand has made a mark in his home country, playing at places such as the North Sea Jazz Festival. He graduated in 2019 with a bachelor in
jazz as the first chromatic harmonica player at a Dutch conservatory, Codarts Rotterdam, paving the way in The Netherlands for other harmonica students to follow.

Being very inspired by Nordic jazz artists such as Jan Garbarek and Esbjörn Svensson, Armand decided to pursue a career in Scandinavia and followed up with a master in jazz and world music at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg, Sweden. Here he had legendary bass player Anders Jormin as his main teacher, and furthermore studied under a.o. Arve Henriksen. It all led to Armand developing a unique sound on the instrument, which is very melodic, warm and spacious.

'Van Wijck has a velvety tone. His beautiful melodies and peaceful music transport you to the vastness of Scandinavia.' - Roland Huguenin, JazzFlits (NL)

Armand's debut album with his Swedish quartet, 'Nothing to Declare' was released in 2024 and quickly gained international attention. The storytelling compositions reflect on Armand’s personal experiences
with migration and cultural adaptation. Swedish jazz magazine Orkesterjournalen mentioned that the music has 'a multi-dimensional sound. It awakens an interest in the versatile possibilities of the
harmonica'.

Next to his quartet, Armand has a flourishing acoustic duo with his partner, Swedish folk violinist Magdalena Eriksson. He also contributes to film and video game music and is part of several electroacoustic
projects, such as Johan Björklund's Pjäxeröd 2.0 with a.o. Arve Henriksen.

'Armand is an original and acclaimed artist with personal aesthetics and with a warm way of interpreting the music he performs. His mastery on the harmonica, his understanding of the jazz tradition and - not the least - his musically communicative skills are remarkable.' – Anders Jormin, ECM Records artist.

Comments on Suzuki harmonicas:
First of all I absolutely love the sound of my chromatic harmonicas. I'm always able to provide a clear and warm sound, just the way I want it. This is also because the instruments do not leak and are so
incredibly responsive. I play very gentle and preferably with the least possible amount of air pressure, and these harmonica's support that. Furthermore I enjoy how effortless the slide moves on my G48, it
makes everything smooth and allows me to play even more legato. Other than that, the harmonicas are extremely reliable and stay in tune for quite a long time. They are also very easy to maintain. For
instance I bought two SCX-48's when I started with my Bachelor in Rotterdam, in 2015. To this day I still play on them as my go-to instruments for practice and rehearsal sessions.