New York Music Group

Calendar

education

• Bachelor Degree Jazz Saxophone Conservatory of Leuven, (Belgium)
• Master Degree Conservatory of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
• 1 year extra Master studies at Manhattan School of Music, New York
• Mention on the Dean's List

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 Defense Competition for the whole repertoire of the Belfin Quartet 2006
• Grand Prix du Jury on Avignon Jazzcontest with Saxkartel 2006

biography

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 Vaganie, 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 and Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
His own projects at this moment are Robin Verheyen Trio, Narcissus Quartet and Orvalectiq.

With the Robin Verheyen Trio, Guus Bakker (double bass), Toon Van Dionant (drums), he performed at the Festival de Lundis d'Hortense 2004 in Botanique, Brussels. They also played at the Getxo Jazz Festival and the Bermeo Jazzfestival in Spain and the Blue Note Festival in Gent.

Orvalectiq consists of Dr. Pallemaerts (drums), Pierre Van Dormael (guitar), Otti Van der Werf (bass), Joachim Saerens (keyboards) and Bert Hornix (loops & sounds). It is a band that works on the fusion between jazz and electronic music.

His main band is called Narcissus quartet with Dutch musicians Harmen Fraanje, Clemens Van der Feen and Flin van Hemmen.
They presented their CD "Narcissus" with a tour through Europe in March and April 2006 and are currently planning a new European Tour in April 2008.

A new International band Robin just founded was on tour in April 2007 and consists of American pianist Bill Carrothers, French bassist Remi Vignolo and drummer Dr. Pallemaerts. Just after the tour they recorded a CD for the Belgian label W.E.R.F. This Cd will be released in 2008 and this will be followed by a European Tour in May 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.

In September 2006 Robin moved to New York. He has just formed a new band there with pianist Eliot Cardinaux (Dave Binney, Pete Robbins), 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 Big Band of German pianist Stephan Schultze and he recorded a cd in January with the Roy Assaf/Eddy Khaimovich Quartet.

In the last year Robin was asked twice by Branford Marsalis to sit in during his concerts with his Quartet in Belgium.

Discography

• Airdance by Saxkartel on Igloo Records, Coproduction Klara, released february 2004 
• Narcissus by Narcissus Quartet on DE WERF, released March 2006 
• Meeting In Paris by Giovanni Falzone European Ensemble on Soulnote, released September 2006 
• Andarta by Roy Assaf/Eddy Khaimovich Quartet feat. Roy Hargrove , to be released in 2007
• Painting Space by Robin Verheyen International Quartet on DE WERF, to be released in April 2008
• Pascal Niggenkemper Trio, to be released in 2008
• Verheyen/Gray/Pate Trio, to be released in 2008

Festivals

Jazz Middelheim (Belgium), North Sea Jazz (the Netherlands), Blue Note Festival (Belgium), Getxo Jazz Festival (Spain), Bermeo Jazz Festival (Spain).

Musicians

Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Jeff Tain Watts, Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis, Ravi Coltrane, Jonathan Blake, Massimo Biolcati, Nelson Veras, Maria Schneider, Tyshawn Sorey.

Prizes

• 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 Defense Competition for the whole repertoire of the Belfin Quartet 2006
• Grand Prix du Jury on Avignon Jazzcontest with Saxkartel 2006

my teaching approach

Can teach all levels from beginner to advanced student.

I have a lot of experience playing concerts all over the world and would like to share this knowledge with my students.