Robin Verheyen

Robin Verheyen studied for 3 years in Belgium, 2 years in the Netherlands and 1 year in New York with Dave Liebman, Steve Slagle, Frank Vaganée, Jasper Blom, Ferdinand Povel, Dick Oatts, John Ruocco… In Amsterdam he graduated with the highest possible score and at Manhattan School of Music he got a place on the Dean’s List. In 2001 when he was only 18 years old Robin Verheyen played with a Big Band directed by Maria Schneider at the Jazz Middelheim Festival. In 2002 Brussels Jazz he was a prizewinner at the International Jazz Contest of Hoeilaart with his quartet Gromm. On the Getxo Jazz Contest 2004 in Spain he was awarded the Prize of Best Soloist.

In Belgium Robin worked at a young age with reknown groups such as Pierre van Dormael Vivaces, Brussels Jazz Orchestra,…

His own projects at this moment are Robin Verheyen Int. Quartet with pianist Bill Carrothers, bassist Nic Thys, and drummer Dré Pallemaerts and a new NY-based pianoless quartet with trumpet player Ralph Alessi, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Flin van Hemmen. With his Int. Quartet with Bill Carrothers he just released the cd 'Painting Space' on the label W.E.R.F.

He co-leads Orvalectiq, a sextet with Dré Pallemaerts or Flin Van Hemmen (drums), Pierre Van Dormael (guitar), Otti Van der Werf or Jean-Luc Lehr (bass), Joachim Saerens (keyboards) and Bert Hornix (loops & sounds). It is a band that works on the fusion between jazz and electronic music.

He also co-leads the band Narcissus with bassist Clemens Van der Feen and drummer Flin van Hemmen and guests pianist Jozef Dumoulin and guitarist Guillermo Celano. They presented their cd ‘Narcissus’ with their former pianist Harmen Fraanje on a tour through Europe in March and April 2006. A new recording is planned for the fall of 2008.

Till the summer of 2006 he also played in Saxkartel ( with Kurt Van Herck, Sara Meyer and Tom Van Dyck) In 2006 they won the Grand Prix Du Jury on the Tremplin Jazz Avignon In France.

In 2005 Robin moved to Paris where he lived till July 2006. He established himself very fast on the French jazz scene and is currently playing in the band of Italian trumpet player Giovanni Falzone, the band of bass-player and drummer Remi Vignolo, and beside that he works regularly with people like Brazilian guitar-player Nelson Veras, pianist Bruno Angelini,..... With the Giovanni Falzone European Ensemble he released the cd ‘Meeting in Paris’ on the Italian label Soulnote. This release was followed by a European tour in October-November 2006. He’s also a member of the Belfin Quartet with the Finish pianist Aki Rissanen, Finish drummer Ville Pynssi and Belgian bassist Joachim Florent. They played in July at the La Defense Competition in Paris where they got the Prize of Best Composition for their whole repertoire. The collaboration with pianist Rissanen continues in their duo project. They recorded a cd in September 2007 which will be released soon.

In September 2006 Robin moved to New York. He has just formed a new band there with Ralph Alessi on trumpet, bassist Thomas Morgan (Steve Coleman, Dave Binney,…) and Dutch drummer Flin van Hemmen ( Michael Brecker, Dick Oatts,….). They are currently planning a series of concerts in New York. In New York he is also a member of the Roy Assaf/Eddy Khaimovich Quartet and the Pascal Niggenkemper Trio with drummer Tyshawn Sorey and he is co-leading a trio with guitarist Ryan Pate and drummer Devin Gray.

Awards

Best Soloist Prize on Getxo Jazz Contest 2004 Best Soloist Prize in International Jazz Contest Hoeilaart 2004 Winner of the Young JazzTalent Contest in Ghent with the Robin Verheyen Trio 2004 Best Composition Prize on La Défense Competition for the whole repertoire of the Belfin Quartet 2006 Grand Prix du Jury on Avignon Jazzcontest with Saxkartel 2006