Véronique Bizet

Genre

Jazz

1. Classical piano education :
Véronique starts to play the piano at the age of seven.
At the age of 9, she is laureate of the Gunther competition.
During her adolescence, she attends classical piano lessons with different private teachers. Later on, she takes Chamber Music at the Alsemberg Academy.

2. Education in Jazz and Improvised Music :

Numerous workshops, in Belgium and abroad, with the following teachers:

- for piano : Dennis Luxion, Vince Benedetti, Rob Van Krefeld, Diederik Wissels, Nathalie Loriers, John Taylor, Boyan Vodenitcharov.
- for composition : Pirly Zurstrassen
- for improvisation : Garrett List, Barre Phillips, Boyan Vodenitcharov
- for the ensembles : Pierre Vaiana, Billy Hart, John Taylor, Nathalie Loriers
- for Brazilian music : Weber Iago
Banff Center for the Arts ( Canada ) : Jazz Workshop" as an auditor :
master-classes with : Steve Coleman, Kenny Wheeler, Rufus Reid, Don Thompson, Keith Copeland, Hugh Fraser....

Education at Belgian Academies :

- Conservatory of Namur : harmony with Arnould Massart and Pierre Van Dormael
- Academy of Eghezée : piano and ensemble with Nathalie Loriers
- Academy of Etterbeek : improvisation with Fabrizio Cassol
- Academy of Saint-Gilles : rhythm with Arnould Massart

Education at Belgian Conservatories :

- Royal Conservatory of Brussels : 3 years jazz harmony with Arnould Massart
- Conservatory of Liège : improvisation with Garrett List
- Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel : jazz department : Nathalie Loriers (3 months)

Private courses with Boyan Vodenitcharov (improvisation), Dhruba Ghosh (indian music)

3. Education in singing :

polyphonic singing workshop with Giovanna Marini
Indian music workshops with Geeta Raja, Dhruba Ghosh, Marianne Svasek
Brazilian workshop with Marcia Maria
private voice lessons with Lucy Grauman
jazz singing with David Linx at the Conservatory of Brussels (3 months)

Studies, degrees and education, apart from music :

Classical secundary education (Greek-Latin)
Degree in Translation and Interpretation ( I.S.T.I. - Brussels) (English, Dutch, French)
Training in small & medium business management (CEPAC: Free University of Brussels)
Master in Sophrology (Brussels-Andorre)
Years of Yoga training (Belgium-France)
Personal development work through different types of psychotherapies
Training in "Non Violent Communication" (3 years)
Training in "Theater Clown" with Nader Farman (Kleine Akademie-Brussels)

Professional experience :

1974 to 1982 : language teacher at the Chamber of Commerce of Brussels
1982 to 1985 : manager assistant at Bizet Productions & Publications sprl
1986 to 1993 : responsible for the jazz department of the previous company :
jazz producer for the label "Jazz Club" : responsible for the production, publishing, artistic production, artists promotion, records marketing, public relations
productions : several jazz CD's with artists such as Joe Lovano, Michel Herr, Dré Pallemaerts, Bert Joris, Hein Van de Geyn, Eric Legnini, Erwin Vann, Michel Hatzi, Stéphane Galland, Kris Defoort...

as a musician:

1995 she forms her first trio with Erwin Vann (sax) and Philippe Reul (electric bass)

1996: she creates a quintet with Hille Bemelmans (vocals), Cécile Broché; ( violin), Philippe Reul (guitar) and Chris Joris (percussion), in a repertoire of own compositions and tunes by contemporary jazz musicians.

The same year, she begins improvising with dancers, gives a performance at the "Piano Solo Festival" organized by the Travers, Brussels.

From 96 on, she participates in several workshops and improvisation performances (dance and music) in Brussels and in Grenoble (F), under the leadership of Barre Phillips and Julyan Hamilton. It was her first meeting with Barre Phillips.

1997-98 : Michel Mainil and Véronique decide to form a jazz quartet. They give a series of concerts together in Belgium, among others at the "Audi Jazz Festival"

The same year, Véronique plays improvised music with the trio "Mosaïc" with Arne van Dongen on double-bass and Eric Thielemans on drums.

1999 : Véronique gives with Barre Phillips (double-bass), Michel Mainil (sax) and Antoine Cirri (dr) a series of concerts of free music around Belgium, among which one at the "Festival Jazz à Liège".

1999-2000: Véronique Bizet and Eric Thielemans start a piano-drums duo, inspired by jazz and improvised music. Together they record their first CD, Moon at Sunrise (MOGNO J003).

2000-2002 : Véronique improves her ability to improvise on the occasion of two pianos meetings with Boyan Vodenitcharov. She also continues to improve herself in jazz thanks to a periodic musical exchange with Bert Van den Brink (NL).

HER PRESENT GROUPS :

CONFIDENTIAL ILLUSIONS, a trio with Stef Van Es (Nl) on electric guitar, and Eric Surménian (Fr) on double-bass. The group has been working together for two years now, with concerts in Belgium and in Holland.
SOLO : Véronique has given a series of solo concerts in Belgium and abroad, among others at the "Piano Solo Jazz Festival" in Prague, end of 2003.
DUOS : several duos, see bands list above.

In the past, was also involved in the following bands:
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