Erik Visser

Erik Visser was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Visser family moved back to Holland when Erik was almost four years old. He grew up in the south of Holland, close to the Belgian border. He started guitar lessons when he was nine in the local village pub using his father's old jazz guitar. A year later Erik began guitar lessons with classical guitarist Benny Ludemann and played in the mandoline orchestra Estrelita conducted by his teacher. Erik left school in 1970 and studied architecture at the University of Delft until 1979. During this period he started a band called Golliwogg. During an Irish tour with Irish-American singer Coleen Kelly, Erik met Antoinette Hensey. Antoinette and Erik married in 1977 and moved to Holland where they had two children, Anna and Tom.

Between 1977 and 1982 Erik studied musical theory and composition with Wim Witteman of the Conservatory of Utrecht.