Dutch pianist, improviser, music theorist and educator Karst de Jong (1961) studied Classical Piano with Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Music Theory with Ineke Kien at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, taking secondary subjects of jazz piano and arranging with Frans Elsen and Rob van Kreeveld. He is internationally recognized in the field of classical improvisation, having transformed his artistic practice from performing classical pieces to bringing improvisation to the stage. He published research on music theory, improvisation and collaborative music creation. With 35 years of teaching experience in Higher Music Education, he held positions at renowned institutions in the Netherlands such as the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, as well as at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona. Since 2023 he is appointed full-time professor at the NUS YST Conservatory in Singapore.

With his focus on promoting the integration of improvisation in the practice and education of classical musicians, he was closely involved in realizing substantial changes in the music theory curriculum of the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag over the past ten years. This process is strongly linked to his initiating role in two major European strategic partnerships of the Erasmus+ program: The European Improvisation Intensive (2012-2014) and the METRIC project (2016-2018), both focusing on promoting the integration of improvisation in the curricula of Institutes of Higher Music Education in Europe. He was also actively involved in the NAIP program, the European Master of New Audiences and Innovative Practices. He developed many new ways of guiding classical musicians in the process of creating new music together, both in the orientation phase of their study as well as in orchestral projects and improvisation events.