Hendrik Vanattenhoven

Hendrik Vanattenhoven was born the 26th of july 1980 near Antwerp (Belgium). Having moved to Brussels at the age of 4 he soon started to take violin lessons and played the instrument until he was about 12.

At the age of 13 he starts teaching himself how to play guitar but switches quit quickly to the bass-guitar, and about a year after that he picks up the double-bass. At 16 he decides to finish his highschool at the kunsthumaniora in Brussels where he gets a classical double-bass players education by Koenraad Hoffman, while taking lessons in jazz bassplaying with people such as Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, Chris Mentens and Bas Cooymans.

In 1999 Hendrik graduates from high school and is accepted at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in Holland where he is tought by Hein Van De Geyn and Frans Van Der Hoeven as well as people like Frans Elsen, Rob Van Bavel and John Ruocco.

In April and May of 2002 hendrik went to Cuba to learn more about the afro-cuban music and its origins, he stayed at the Conservatory of Havana for over a month taking lessons from different local bassplayers and other musicians.

Over the years he has taken part in masterclasses by jazz greats such as Dave Liebman, Barry Harris, John Abercrombie, Rick Margitza, Avishai Cohen and many others. In June 2004 Hendrik finishes his first fase at the Royal Conservatory and plays a concert at the North sea jazz festival with the famous Canadian trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler. In May 2006 Hendrik gets his masters degree with 8.5/10.

Hendrik Vanattenhoven currently a frequently asked bassplayer in different styles of music such as: jazz, salsa, funk and pop; He is working in Holland as well as in his native country of Belgium, and keeps on developing as a bassplayer and as a composer.