Niels Engel

Foto©GerardBeckers

Born in one of the smallest countries in Europe (Luxembourg), drummer/percussionist Niels Engel (03/07/1987) grew up in a family where music had its tradition over more generations. His musical career started at the Conservatory of Esch-sur-Alzette (Lu) where he studied mainly classical music (clarinet, classic percussion, solfeggio, classic harmony, chamber music, orchestral playing, brass band).

After some years, he got more and more into jazz music and especially into drums. At the age of 16, he got his first drum lesson in the same conservatory and few months later he won the "Young European Soloist Competition" in Luxembourg and became one of the last 20 finalists of the "European Drummer Competition" in Germany.

At the age of 18, he finished his degree in drums (1prix) from the Conservatory of Eschsur-Alzette. A year later, he got accepted as a full-time bachelor student for jazz drums at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague (NL) where he studied with Joost Patocka, Stefan Kruger, Frits Landesbergen and Erik Ineke.

In 2009 he moved to Amsterdam to finish his bachelor's degree with Marcel Serierse and Martijn Vink at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In 2010 he won prestigious competitions as a sideman such as the "Prinses Christina Concours" and the "Grote Prijs van Nederland".

He is worked as a percussionist at the Luxembourg Military Band. Over the years, he was working/playing with great musicians such as Peter Beets, Joe Fonda, Archie Lee Hooker, John Ruocco, Jesse van Ruller, Jasper Blom, Ack van Rooyen, Frans vd Hoeven, Ben van Gelder, Harvie S, etc..