Quartier, Bart (B)

ADAMS PERCUSSION FESTIVAL - 03 May 1992
ADAMS PERCUSSION FESTIVAL - 17 April 1994
ADAMS PERCUSSION FESTIVAL - 30 October 1999

After his classical percussion studies Bart (born 2 June 1961, Anderlecht, Belgium) studied marimba with Robert Van Sice and followed master classes with Keiko Abe, Gordon Stout, Steven Schick, and more. He studied jazz with Belgian guitarist Peter Hertmans, composition with pianist Diederik Wissels and followed clinics by John Abercrombie, Mike Mainieri, Peter Erskine, Bob Malach, Kenny Werner, George Garzone, and others.

Bart was invited by more than 40 orchestras and ensembles. His experience spans ancient, symphonic, opera, contemporary, chamber music, jazz, pop, variety, percussion ensembles, radio and TV, and he has played at festivals such as Internationale Musikfestwoche Luzern, Baden-Baden, Festival van Vlaanderen, Ars Musica, Tromp Musik Biënnale. Together with Gert François, Jan Michiels and Inge Spinette, Bart realized the first Belgian recording of Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Two Percussion.

Bart had the privilege to play with jazz legend Mike Mainieri on the 30th anniversary of Brosella Jazz 2006. Through international projects of Belgian percussionist Frank Michiels, Bart had the honor to play with Doudou ’n Diayé Rose on sabar, Madjid Khaladj on tombak and Trilok Gurtu on tabla. Bart was fortunate to perform with Belgium’s greatest jazz players in bands like Dreamtime, Jambangle and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra at festivals such as North Sea Jazz Festival, Festival de Marseille, Audi Jazz, Brosella Jazz, Ruhr Triënnale, Motives for Jazz, Jazz à Mons. Besides his performance schedule he teaches mallets (classical and jazz) at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. As a clinician he was invited to conservatories in Amsterdam, Paris, Seoul, and Tokyo. During summer camps Bart enjoyed playing with friends such as Franck Tortiller, Jean Geoffroy, Emmanuel Séjourné, Gordon Stout, Dave Samuels, Mike Mainieri.

His books ‘Image’ 20 Children’s Songs for Marimba (Meredith 1992- Hal Leonard 2000) and ‘Profils’ 24 essays for vibraphone and piano (Lemoine Paris 2000) are distributed worldwide. His third book ‘Encore’ 5 ‘bis’ for mallets (Alfonce Production 2001) is distributed by the late Claude Giot, who was artistic director of the ‘Forum International de Percussions’ where Bart was invited five times. Great artists such as Robert Van Sice, Gordon Stout and Daniel Goyone introduced all his books. Bart was invited as a juror of the 3rd World Vibe International Competition Claude Giot 2005.

Currently Bart plays in Kris Defoort’s ‘Dreamtime’ with projects like Conversations / Conservations and the opera ‘The Woman who walked into doors’, which toured extensively through Europe during recent years.

Bart leads his own quintet with trumpet player Nico Schepers and saxophone player Bart Defoort, both members of the superb Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Jean-Louis Rassinfosse – who played ten years with Chet Baker – on double bass and Jan De Haas on drums. The debut album ‘Thank You’ is released by De Werf, a leading Belgium jazz label. Bart was laureate of the Sabam Contest for Composition for Jazz themes 2000 and 2002. As sideman he recorded over 60 CDs and toured Europe, USA, Korea and Japan.