Piano - Composer Born in 1966 at Namur (Belgium), Nathalie Loriers first gets a classical training but soon she picks up interest in jazz. In 1990 she gets the first price for jazz piano and harmonics at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Brussels. Her projects as a leader On a short time notice she succeeds to establish herself as a first rank musician in Belgium jazz. In 1989, she then is only 23 years old, the "Association Belge des Critiques de Jazz" chooses her as "Best talent" in her country. In 1990, she wins the first price proclaiming her as "Best young soloist" at the Brussels Jazz Rally. At the Igloo label she brings out her first recording in 1991, (under her own name) "Nymphéas" with Kurt van Herck (sax), Philippe Aerts (bass) & Mimi Verderame (drums). With this group she requires the first price at the "Concours des Radios Publiques des Pays de Langue Française (CRLPF)" which includes France, Switzerland and Canada. Everything what was done best by the current Europeans is in the record of Nathalie Loriers (...) Exiting (...) Shiny compositions, well worked out, conceived as real songs, a group which goes where everyone is already superior, a sum of excellent tunes, that's the revelation of this debut!... (Philippe Baron "Privilège de la musique" - nov. 91.) In 1992, « the Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) » offers her an exclusive program, lasting one hour during which she invited some key figures in Belgium Jazz: Sadi, Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, David Linx, Diederik Wissels, Since then she is a regular guest with this broadcasting company, especially in October 1994, when she performed the only jazz concert ever at the Royal Palace, together with Steve Houben. In the same year she presents herself before the Royal Family togehter with Toots Thielemans at the "Palais des Beaux-Arts" on the occasion of the remembering day of the dead of King Baudouin. Begin 1993, Nathalie Loriers returns into the studio, this time with the Master of the cool, Lee Konitz, and Al Levitt et Philippe Aerts. After a series of concerts in throughout Belgium and France, the group records the CD "Discoveries". Here, besides Konitz and Levitt, two great old wanderers in jazz, two lovers of the instant multiplicity, you can discover a memorable Belgium piano player called Nathalie Loriers (..) Start listening at track 6 solo piano where Loriers improvises in a way one could call Konitzian; she lets herself drag away into the music unconsciously, without a preconceived theme, and finishes in well known territory... (Norberto Gimelfarb "Viva la Musique" - mensuel suisse - mars 1994 n° 160) In the same year, Nathalie Loriers brings out a new CD under her own name with as guests, Cameron Brown (bass), Rick Hollander (drums) and a young Belgium saxophone player, Jeroen Van Herzeele : "Dance or die". In the summer of the same year the group was invited at the international Jazz Festival of Middelheim and afterwards they performed a series of concerts in Belgium and France. One loves the quartet of Nathalie Loriers because it plays sincere, exact, precise and because it has a stupefying maturity and force!" (La Voix du Nord). From an unexpected complexity which culminates into the superb "Dance or Die" (...) stage in the career of an instrumentalist which is no longer a promise but a "affirmed talent" (Une autre chanson - jan. 94). She as a trace of fragility, some unsureness also, which is part of the emotion. And her compositions have an apparently joy to bring out songs which are restless (...) loose (...) a sense of melody for sure" (Jazzman - suppl. du Monde de la Musique). With "Walking through walls, walking along walls" (1995), we find her back in the trio format with Dutch drummer Hans Van Oosterhout and bass player Sal La Rocca. The trio was presented at a large number of concerts and several international festivals amongst them the Audi Jazz Festival, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the first Euro-Arab Jazz Festival (in Syria et Jordan), the Festival de Jazz de Liège. The trio also was invited for a series of concerts in Canada with special guest Philip Catherine (guitar). "Shameless feelings, a soft oscillation between extravert delicacy and slight introvertness (...) Lyricism in soft painted colours, nuances in touch, inspired writing, freshness in improvisation (...) Nathalie Loriers brings them all together. As much convinced as her timing, her silence and her breath of malicious serenity ". (Guide des Nouveaux talents, Alex Duthil - Jazzman n° 24 - apr.97). "This next CD of Nathalie Loriers proves that the trio format fits her best. (...) It brings a voluptuous joy into her playing, a minutious intelligence in alliance with speed which leaves room to the possibility of essential cries" (Marc Danval - Tenue de Ville - febr. 96) "Contrasts of climate, sunny swing which differs between shiny sensitivity or shaded questioning. Great Art!" (Le Soir - MAD - 04/1/96) "With total comparses-complices which fits to her musical conceptions the young piano-player affirms a remarkable personality, a magnificent touch, an astonishing feel for space (...)".(Thierry Quenum - Jazz magazine - June 96). With this trio Nathalie Loriers goes on to develop herself during some years. poursuit They record a second CD in 1999 "Silent Spring" again with Sal La Rocca et Hans Van Oosterhout. The CD is released at the Paris's Pygmalion label and meets an enormous success, (first CD Jazz en Flanders) 4 stars Jazzman (the most important Jazz magazine in France) and chosen by the "Chaîne Paris Jazz". The trio plays at several festivals in France, Switzerland, Brazil (Chivas festival) and Japan (Tokyo et Osaka) where the two cd's in trio had been re-released. March 1999 Nathalie receives the "Belgian's DJANGO D'OR " which gives a new impulse to her career. The year of 2000 starts with an other award: She receives the EURO DJANGO, which is quite exceptional in the world of jazz. This trophy is a recognition for her talent and her work up till now and awards her as most important young contemporaneous musician in Europe. In the very masculine world of jazz this awarding is remarkable as it is given to a female musician from Belgium. "Jazz Pool 99" from the VRT (Flemish Television in Belgium.) proclaiming her to be the best piano player of the year and the CD "Silent Spring" is chosen as the best record of the last twelve months. In December 2000 Nathalie Loriers sees herself awarded with the Bobby Jaspar price by the jury of the Academy of Jazz in Paris. In January 2002 Nathalie Loriers returns into the studio for a new adventure ; this time with three exellent Belgium woodwind players extending her trio: Frank Vaganée on sax (Leader of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra), Kurt Van Herck, sax and Laurent Blondiau, trumpet. The cd, Nathalie Loriers trio +extensions, "Tombouctou" is released in may 2002 and meets superb critics and recognition: 4 stars in Stage Magazine and Choc de Jazzman The album is acclaimed best record of the year by Radio Klara.VRT (Flemich Belgian broadcast) In the same period French Television FR3 diffuses a portrait of Nathalie Loriers as well as the trio + extensions. With this sextet, she participates at several Belgium and international festivals; the Gaume Jazz festival (a lovely country side festival in the south of Belgium) , the Brussels Jazz Marathon, Jazz at Middelheim (Antwerp), the Foire de Paris, the Coutance festival (France), the Braga (Portugal). In 2004, Nathalie Loriers starts to work with Tunisian oud player Yadh Elyes. They form the group "Chemins Croisés". The duo presents a rare combination of two instruments symbolic for their culture, the piano representing the European tradition and the oud (Arab lute) representing the Arab tradition. The complete new repertoire is written by Nathalie Loriers and Yadh Elyes. The compositions are full of of jazz flavor combining meditative oriental music. At the Gaume Festival, summer 2004, Nathalie receives a carte blanche for an exceptional concert: she enlarges the duo format into a quintet and invites some international renowned musicians as : Gianluigi Trovesi (clarinettes), Joêl Allouche (percussions) and Tony Overwater (bass and electric gamba violin). The group plays at the Munster festival in Geremany, the Bath festival in England and at au Jazz Middelheim. Since may 2005, a young oud player from Belgium Jordan origin Karim Baggili replaces Yadh Elyes. In 2005, La Deux (Belgium Broadcasting Company) has diffused a portrait about Nathalie Loriers : « Nathalie Loriers, a lady in jazz ». This film produced by Pierre Barré et Thierry Loreau gives us an insight in the world of Nathalie presenting interviews, rehearsals and fragments of concerts Nathalie Loriers and Philippe Aerts have been playing duets since 2002. In order to get the best sound qualities out of their instrument, the two musicians usually play acoustically. Nathalie and Philippe play with a lot of freedom and interaction. The music produced by this duet can be swinging and powerful as well as intimate and delicate. Nathalie In 2007, The cultural center « De Bijloke » (Gent, Belgium), suggests to Nathalie Loriers to make a unique concert with one of their resident groups, the « Spiegel String Quartet ». This new project associates a Jazz quartet with a classical string quartet. Trumpet Player Bert Joris writes most of the arrangements for this new project, and his creativity and expertise brings a new life to Nathalie's original repertoire. Clear melodic lines and subtle harmonic progressions, fine arrangements leaving enough space for improvisation, the dialog between both quartets remains well balanced and gives an original sound to the music. All this is of course helped by one of the most swinging rhythm sections of the moment, Philippe Aerts on double bass and Joost van Schaik on drums. The string quartet is now composed of Igor Semenoff and Stefan Willems (violins), Aurélie Entringer (alto) and Jan Sciffer (cello). The band recorded a new album, « Moments d'éternité » in february 2009 (label « DE WERF), and played the cd release concert during the GentJazz festival 2009, in front of a very pleased and enthusiastic audience. In September 2011,she won the Culture Sabam price of composition of the Jazz Hoeilaart Contest:her composition was played by all the finalists of the contest. In 2011, Nathalie Loriers returned to her favorite formula, the trio using one of the most swinging rhythmsection in Europe: Philippe Aerts on double bass and the American drummer, Rick Hollander, already on the album "Dance or di" . The 'Nathalie Loriers New trio' will record "Les trois petits singes" which will appear on 'De Werf' label. https://youtu.be/BfN8WP0I3sU "Isn't it with the old friends that we do the best things" The pianist from Namur is particularly inspirated on this album, whose title is inspired by a sculpture of three wise little monkeys that Gandhi was fond of, and whose motto was "See nothing bad, hear nothing bad, say nothing of wrong". "Speak no Evil", a reference to Wayne Shorter's album (1964)? We feel Nathalie Loriers closer to the Latin jubilant art of Chick Corea, with a touch of Tatum, always." La libre In 2014, Michel Herr invited the Nathalie Loriers New Trio to join the project: "Steve Houben & Michel Herr with The real sax section" on the occasion of Adolphe sax's 200th birthday, and featuring 5 excellent saxophonists, from several generations: Pierrick Pédron, Steve Houben, Fabrice Alleman, Kenny Jeanney, Julien Delbrouck. The same year, the trio participated in the "An American Songbook" project, initiated by the Orchester Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, lyrical soprano Julie Mossay and Steve Houben, for a repertoire of American songs arranged by Michel Herr. In 2019, Nathalie Loriers took part in Michel Herr's "Positive" Tentet, Music for sextet and string quartet project. We find a range of internationally renowned musicians, such as: Bert Joris, Paul Heller, Peter Hertmans, Sam Gertsmans and Dré Pallemaerts in a repertoire of unpublished pieces composed and arranged by Michel Herr. In 2016, alongside her project with Tineke Postma, Nathalie invited Benoit Vanderstraeten and Thierry Gutmann for a semi-acoustic formula favoring a repertoire much more based on groove: 'the Nathalie Loriers Groovy trio' will perform in Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg Nathalie Loriers and Tineke Postma met during the Gaume Jazz Festival in summer 2013. An inspired dialogue between the two women immediately appeared, accompanied by the solid and powerful playing of Philipe Aerts. The concert was immortalized by the release of a first CD: '"Le Peuple Des Silencieux" (De Werf). In 2016, the two women, this time accompanied by Nic Thys on double bass, renewed the experience with the recording of a second CD in the fantastic hall of The Philharmony in Liège, which provides an exceptional acoustic and allows the musicians to record in a "real life" situation. 'We will really meet again' was then released by the label De Werf. Their musical complicity is strengthened, energized, re-nourished at each concert of the trio, leading to a remarkable freedom and connection. On the strength of this inspired, inspiring, almost fusional impetus, this musical adventure cannot stop there: the trio decided to record a third CD which will be released in spring 2021 on the label Igloo: "Le temps retrouvé". Aware of the importance of the blend of the sound, the trio has recorded completely acoustically in the Philharmony in Liège. Strong melodies on subtle and fine harmonies will be the starting point of a new chapter for the three musicians. All compositions and arrangements are by Nathalie Loriers, mainly inspirated by winds, and the particular situation we live since March 2020. Working as a "side woman Al away her career Nathalie Loriers has worked together as a side woman with a large number of musicians: amongst them Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, Christian Escoudé, David Linx, Diederik Wissels, Aldo Romano, Charlie Mariano, Rachel Gould, Riccardo del Fra, Fabrice Alleman, Reggie Washington, Lee Konitz, Al Levitt, Hélène Labarrière, Emmanuele Cisi, Paolo Fresu,?. Since 2002 to 2007, she participates with the European Big Band which features soloists and directors like Bob Mintzer, Gianluigi Trovesi, Kenny Wheeler Also since 2002, Nathalie Loriers contributes as a piano player in the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO) The BJO features Belgium and international soloists like Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Phil Woods, Philip Catherine, Bert Joris, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tutu Puoane, Fay Claessens, Toots Thielemans, Richard Galliano, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, David Linx, maria Joao, Michel Herr, Lee Konitz and Tom Harrel This international renown orchestra did participate in a large number of manifestations : Jazz Sous Les Pommiers (France), Feldkirch Festival (Austria), The Cutting Room (New York), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Dublin Jazz Week (Ireland Jazz at The Lincoln Center (New York), concert 2 big bands: Brussels Jazz Orchetsra and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (Wynton Marsalis)... Working as a teacher Parallel to her career as a musician, Nathalie Loriers teaches the jazz piano since 1994 at the "Royal Conservatory of Brussel" , as well as in several music academies in the French community of Belgium During a long period she performs summer classes in the Academy of Libramont Koninklijk conservatorium van Brussel : http://www.kcb.b Académie de musique d'Eghezée : http://www.eghezee.be/aca Académie d' Evere : http://www.academie-evere.b