Trijntje Oosterhuis (born February 5, 1973, in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch singer and songwriter whose career has moved between pop, soul, jazz, and orchestral music. Recognized for her powerful yet controlled voice, she has become one of the Netherlands' most versatile vocal performers. Her work combines mainstream accessibility with a strong interest in classic American songwriting and jazz interpretation.
Oosterhuis began her professional career in 1990 when she formed the pop group Total Touch with her brother, producer and songwriter Tjeerd Oosterhuis. The duo reached the finals of the Grote Prijs van Nederland, a major Dutch music competition, in 1991. Their early progress was helped by Oosterhuis' work with saxophonist Candy Dulfer. After contributing vocals to Dulfer's music, she joined her touring ensemble in 1994 and spent approximately two years performing internationally.
Total Touch signed a record deal in the mid-1990s and released its self-titled debut album in 1996. The group established itself as a major Dutch pop act through songs such as "Touch Me There" and "Somebody Else's Lover." Its follow-up album, This Way, became a number one hit in the Netherlands. Although Total Touch was built around the musical partnership between the siblings, Tjeerd increasingly concentrated on production and songwriting while Trijntje moved toward a solo career. The group separated in 2001.
Her solo work initially developed from the pop and soul sound of Total Touch, but Oosterhuis soon pursued a more jazz-oriented direction. Her early solo recordings included the live album For Once in My Life, a collection of Stevie Wonder interpretations, and the studio album Trijntje Oosterhuis. In 2004, she signed with Blue Note and released Strange Fruit, an album drawing on material associated with Billie Holiday and George Gershwin. The record demonstrated her ability to approach established standards with vocal authority while retaining a contemporary sensibility.
A major turning point came with The Look of Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook, released in 2006. Recorded with the Metropole Orkest, the album presented Bacharach's sophisticated pop compositions in expansive orchestral arrangements. Bacharach himself contributed to the project, and the album became one of Oosterhuis' most successful releases. Its successor, Who'll Speak for Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook II, followed in 2007. The collaboration also led to concerts and further live recordings, reinforcing her reputation as an interpreter of classic repertoire.
Oosterhuis continued to explore jazz and orchestral music on releases including Never Can Say Goodbye, This Is the Season, Sundays in New York, and Wrecks We Adore. She also recorded an acoustic project with guitarist Leonardo Amuedo and later returned to Bacharach's catalog for Everchanging Times: Burt Bacharach Songbook III with the Metropole Orkest in 2021. Her Dutch-language albums Leven van de liefde and Dit is voor mij showed another side of her career, connecting her voice with contemporary Dutch songwriting.
In 2015, Oosterhuis represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Walk Along." She has also reached television audiences as a coach on The Voice of Holland. Across her career, she has maintained a balance between popular music and artistic interpretation, making her notable both as a successful recording artist and as a commanding live singer.