Lieven Venken
batterie, percussions

Lieven VENKEN studied at the Lemmens Instituut, first classical violin and percussion, then switched to the jazz department, a.o. with Dré PALLEMAERTS. He graduted in '99 "cum laude".

He also studied in Amsterdam with Kees CRANENBURG and with Billy HART (New York).
Private lessons with Billy HART, Brian BLADE, Jorge ROSSY, jazz drums New York 1997.
Summer camp, jazz drums by Billy HART, ensemble by Mark LEVINE, jazz drums, ensemble Dworp, Belgium Aug.1997, Aug. 1998.

After his studies, he rapidly becomes a very active drummer on the Belgian jazz scene.

As a freelance musician he played concerts all over Europe and in the U.S. with people such as:
Mark TURNER, Claudio RODITI, Tim ARMACOST, Hein VAN DE GEYN, Jonathan MORITZ, Brian LYNCH, Pete McCANN, Jesse VAN RULLER, Michiel BORSTLAP, Matt RENZIE, Norma WINSTONE, Martin GJAKONOVSKI, Nicolas SIMION, Norbert SCHOLLY, Rupert STAMM, Noah HOWARD, Darek OLES, Shane ENDSLEY, Mike LE DONNE, Gulli GUDMANSON, Chantal WILLIE, Danny GRISETT, Mike CARR, Dan MARCUS, Al DE FINO, Frank VAGANÉE (sax), Nic THYS (b), Bart DEFOORT (sax), Lindsey HORNER (b.), Kris DEFOORT (p), Bo VAN DER WERF (bar. sax), Erwin VANN (sax), Michel HERR (p), Ron VAN ROSSUM (p), Peer BAIERLEIN (tp), Bas COOYMANS (b), Pierre VAN DORMAEL (gt), Manuel HERMIA (sax), Peter HERTMANS (gt), Steve HOUBEN (sax), Nathalie LORIERS (p), Paolo RADONI, Sal LA ROCCA (b), Bruno VANSINA (sax), Jozef DUMOULIN (p), Piet VERBIST (b), Erik VERMEULEN (p), Jean-Louis RASSINFOSSE, Czech pianist Emil VIKLICKY (p) etc...

He had the opportunity to play with Erwin VANN's WORLDS Project (sextet version) with a.o. Norma WINSTONE (voc.), Eric VLOEIMANS (tp), Michel HERR (p) and Stefan LIEVESTRO (b).

He also worked in trio with US saxophonist Jonathan MORITZ, with Lindsey HORNER on bass. They recorded the album "Xanadu" J.A.S. 06).