Annette Kruisbrink (1958) was bom in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She studied the guitar with Pieter vani der Staak at the conservatory of Zwolle, graduating in 1983. That same year, she released a cassette with a selection of her compositions for solo guitar. She subsequently trained herself to play the flamenco guitar and the vihuela. She attended masterclasses conducted by Leo Brouwer, John Mills, Toyohiko Satoh and many others.
Already at an early age she was interested in composing, which has resulted in producing over 160 compositions, mainly for the guitar and the guitar in combination with other instruments. She attended composition classes run by a.o. Alex Manassen, Nigel Osborne and Claudio Prieto and she was commissioned by the NCRV (Dutch radio and television), Huismuziek, the Zwolle Guitarweeks Foundation, Schouwburg Odeon, Zwolle and Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.
In 1991 she won the first prize (audience award) during “The seventh Intemational Congress on Women in Music” in Utrecht (Holland) with her composition “Sgraffito” for chamber orchestra. In 1992 she won the second prize in a competition for composition, organized by SACEM and CMAC in Fort de France, Martinique (France) with her composition “Faon” for solo guitar. In 1994 she won the first prize ex aequo in the previous mentioned competition with her composition “Homenaje a Andrés Segovia” for solo ouitar. In 1998 she won the second prize with her composition “10 Miniaturas” for guitar quartet in the 2° Concorso Internazionale di Composizione per Chitarra Classica , Italy.
In addition to composing she performs regularly as a soloist and in duo with her brother, the double-bass player Eric Kruisbrink. In 1995 they recorded their CD-album ‘Cirex’, with own compositions. With the Belgian guitarist Arlette Ruelens she forms The Anido Guitarduo. In 1997 they recorded their CD-album “Kanakangi”, with own compositions for 2 guitars and other instruments. In 1999 her CD ‘Solo’ with five of her compositions for guitar solo has been released. In 2000 The Anido Guitarduo recorded a CD-maxi -single ‘Alborada’ with own compositions and music from South-America and in 2001 the CD ‘Impresiones Argentinas’ with compositions by Maria Luisa Anido. In 2002 the CD ‘The Japanese stonecutter’ for two guitars and narrator performed by The Anido Guitarduo has been released (music: Annette Kruisbrink, text: Multatuli). Since 2000 she is a member of The Naildance Guitar Quartet (Maria Vittoria Jedlowski, Annette Kruisbrink, Arlette Ruelens and Claudio Ballabio) with whom she recorded a CD (2002) with among others own compositions. With the Dutch soprano Franka van Essen she forms the duo Kruisbrink & Van Essen. They perform songs on poems by Dutch poetrists.
She currently teaches contemporary music and ethno music at the Conservatory of Music in Zwolle, Holland. She performs regularly as a guitarist and as a teacher in among others The Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxemburg, Italy, Poland, Spain, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland.