Annette Kruisbrink, originally from Amsterdam, Netherlands, graduated from the conservatory of Zwolle in 1983 after studying guitar with Pieter van der Staak. She released a cassette with a selection of her compositions for solo guitar in the same year and later taught herself to play the flamenco guitar and vihuela. Kruisbrink attended masterclasses conducted by renowned musicians such as Leo Brouwer, John Mills, and Toyohiko Satoh. She has produced over 160 compositions, primarily for the guitar and in collaboration with other instruments. Kruisbrink has won multiple composition prizes, including first prize in the seventh International Congress on Women in Music competition in 1991 for her composition "Sgraffito" and first prize ex aequo in a 1994 competition for her composition "Homenaje a Andrés Segovia." Along with composing, Kruisbrink regularly performs as a soloist or in various duos, such as with her brother Eric or with Arlette Ruelens as The Anido Guitarduo. She is also a member of The Naildance Guitar Quartet and Kruisbrink & Van Essen duo. Kruisbrink presently teaches contemporary and ethno music at the Conservatory of Music in Zwolle and provides guitar instruction at The Anido Guitar School in Emmeloord. She performs and teaches guitar in countries like Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
