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Ted Talks

A whistleblower you haven't heard

At TEDxRotterdam, world champion whistler Geert Chatrou performs the whimsical "Eleonora" by A. Honhoff, and his own "Fête de la Belle." In a fascinating interlude, he talks about what brought him to the craft.

It all started as a practical joke: Geert Chatrou's sister-in-law entered him in the International Whistler's Convention in Louisburg, NC. To save face, he went and won!

Geert Chatrou has been whistling as long as he can remember. He plays the recorder and flute, but prefers whistling -- using only his lips as an instrument. In 2004 he won the whistling World Championships, and returned in 2005 to successfully defend his title. The 2008 World Championships were held in Japan, and Chatrou proved to be the world's best once again.

Chatrou was part of a prizewinning documentary about the 2004 International Whistling Convention, made by Emmy winners Kate Davis and David Heilbroner. This documentary, called "Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling," has been screened in over 40 countries. Together with the Dutch group Ocobar, Chatrou made his debut album, "Chatroubadour" in 2005, with all songs specially written to fit his virtuoso whistling. In 2008, Chatrou released his latest album, "Ornithology," which brings out the "whistlability" of different music styles -- from jazz to klezmer to classic to pop.