Paardcafé: Koen van der Linden

Koen van der Linden is a Royal Conservatory graduate in jazz piano, and a self taught trumpet player. He is based in the Hague and plays around in the Dutch jazz scene and with his own trio. In his playing you can find a sincere love for old jazz standards, next to a wide range of modern day influences and above all, a great passion.

Koen was introduced to the piano by his grandfather, who taught him the first basics at the age of ten. Soon after that he was getting regular piano lessons, where he started improvising and composing his first tunes. At the age of sixteen, Koen got in touch with the vibrant jazz scene of the Hague. He started going out to jam sessions and concerts, where he listened and played along. At the age of nineteen, Koen was admitted to the Royal Conservatory.

While studying at the Conservatory, Koen started to develop his own sound and style. You can find elements of Duke Ellington, Bud Powell and Roy Hargrove in his playing. Next to that, he started working with different musicians at the conservatory and started learning how to interact with his fellow colleagues. He also took up the trumpet with which he started experimenting and playing around.