Bio

Emil Novotny is a Czech/Canadian jazz double bass player and composer from Prague currently based in Amsterdam.

He started his career in Prague, where he became an active member of the local jazz scene, regularly playing in local clubs and accompanying some of the best local musicians, while branching out onto the European scene, for example with playing at the Jazz In The Park festival in Romania with an Izraeli singer Noam Vazana, or playing at festivals in Berlin and Wrocław with a ethno-fusion band Shum Davar.

In 2024 he moved to Amsterdam to study at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Since then he has been establishing himself on the local scene, playing regularly in local clubs. He has formed several projects here, most notably Fluke Trio featuring Ege Akyildiz on guitar and Alper Aydoğan on drums, with which he went on tour in Türkiye in June 2025 and Trio Soundbound featuring Matěj Bursík on saxophone and Olivier Kayl on drums with which he toured in Czechia in July 2025. He was part of the Jong Metropole 2025 winter project led by Sam Gale, featuring Lo van Gorp. He has also recorded, amongst others, for the album Sleepless Nights by Duo Tundmus, the upcoming album of Patricija Donina and for his upcoming EP of original music.
In February 2026 he is going on tour with Sounbound Trio featuring American pianist Kai Spazier in Czechia.