LORIERS Nathalie

Born in 1966 in Namur (Belgium), Nathalie Loriers first received classical musical training before quickly becoming interested in jazz. In 1990, she won first prize in jazz piano and jazz harmony at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels.

His projects as a leader

In a short time, she managed to establish herself at the forefront of Belgian jazz musicians. In 1989, at the age of 23, the Belgian Jazz Critics Association elected him "Best young talent" in the country. In 1990, she won the 1st prize for "Best Young Soloist" at the Brussels Jazz Rally.

She released on the Igloo label, in 1991, her first CD (under her own management) " Nymphéas" with the help of Kurt van Herck (sax), Philippe Aerts (double bass) and Mimi Verderame (drums). With this group, she won 1st prize at the French-Speaking Countries Public Radio Competition (CRLPF) ahead of France, Switzerland and Canada.

"Everything that the" European current "has done best is in Nathalie Loriers' record (...) Emballant (...) Shimmering, worked compositions, conceived as real songs, a group that stands together, where everyone is still greater than the sum of its excellent parts, it's the big revelation of the new school year! " (Philippe Baron "Privilege of music" - nov. 91.)

In 1992, the Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) offered her an exclusive one-hour program during which she invited a few big names in Belgian jazz: Sadi, Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, David Linx, Diederik Wissels, ... Since then, she is a regular guest there, notably in October 1994, during the only jazz concert that has ever taken place at the Palais Royal, alongside Steve Houben She will perform in front of the royal family the same year with Toots Thielemans at the Palais des Fine Arts on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of King Baudouin.

At the beginning of 1993, Nathalie Loriers returned to the studio, this time with the Master of the cool, Lee Konitz, as well as Al Levitt and Philippe Aerts. After a series of concerts across Belgium and France, the group recorded the CD " Discoveries".

"Here, in addition to Konitz and Levitt, two old great jazz drivers, two lovers of the multiplicity of the moment, there is to discover a memorable Belgian pianist called Nathalie Loriers (...) Start listening at beach 6 - solo piano - where Loriers improvises in what one might call Konitzienne: she lets herself be carried away by the music that comes out of her as if without her knowing it, without any preconceived theme, and ends up falling on familiar ground ... ( Norberto Gimelfarb "Viva la Musique" - Swiss monthly - March 1994 n ° 160)

The same year, Nathalie Loriers released a new CD under her name with, as guests, Cameron Brown (double bass), Rick Hollander (drums) and a young Belgian saxophonist, Jeroen Van Herzeele: " Dance or die ".
The group will be invited to the Middelheim International Jazz Festival in the summer of that same year and will perform in a series of concerts in Belgium and France.

"We love Nathalie Loriers' quartet because it plays true, fair, precise and because it has astonishing maturity and strength!" (The voice of the North)

"In a rather unexpected complicity which culminates in the superb" Dance or Die "(...) stage in the career of an instrumentalist who is no longer a promise but an" affirmed "talent (Another song - jan . 94). "There is in her a hint of fragility, of uncertainty in addition, which is the fabric of emotion. And imperceptibly, his compositions scratch the apparent prettiness to release anxious songs (...) ease (...) very sure melodic sense "(Jazzman - suppl. Du Monde de la Musique).

With " Walking through walls ... walking along walls " (1995), we find it in the refined formula of a trio formed with Hans Van Oosterhout (drums) and Sal La Rocca (double bass). The trio performs at numerous concerts and international festivals, notably at the Audi Jazz Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the 1st Euro-Arab Jazz Festival (in Syria and Jordan), the Liège Jazz Festival,. .. He will also be invited for a series of concerts in Canada with, as special guest, Philip Catherine.

"The shamelessness of feelings, a gentle oscillation between extraverted delicacy and unveiled interiority (...) Half-hearted lyricism, nuances of touch, inspiring writing, freshness of improvisation (...) Nathalie Loriers combines the strengths. All the more convincing as his relationship to time, to silence, exudes a malicious serenity ". (New Talent Guide, Alex Duthil - Jazzman n ° 24 - Apr. 97).

"Nathalie Loriers' latest CD proves that the trio's formula suits her best (...) His playing emanates a laughing pleasure, a meticulous intelligence in perfect alliance with a velocity knowing how to leave room for essential clamors" (Marc Danval - City Outfit - Feb 96)

"Contrasts of climates, sunny swing springing to the bend of a diaphanous meditation or a shadowy questioning. Great art!" (Le Soir - MAD - 04/1/96)

"With accomplices-accomplices totally in unison with her musical conceptions, the young pianist affirms a remarkable personality, a magnificent touch, a dazzling sense of space (...)". (Thierry Quenum - Jazz magazine - June 96.

It is within her trio that Nathalie Loriers has continued her development for several years. The trio recorded in 1999 their second CD " Silent Spring " with Sal La Rocca and Hans Van Oosterhout.
This recording, released in Paris by Pygmalion, met with enormous success (first Jazz CD in Flanders) 4 times starred by Jazzman (the first Jazz magazine in France) and selected by the Paris Jazz channel.The trio performed in many festivals in France. , Switzerland, Brazil (Chivas festival), and in Japan (Tokyo and Osaka) where the two trio cd's will be reissued.

In March 1999 she received the Belgian DJANGO D'OR which dedicated her career. The year 2000 begins in the best possible way: an exceptional event in the world of Jazz: it won the first EURO DJANGO. This trophy rewards for her talent and her work an artist among the best young contemporary European musicians.

In the very masculine world of Jazz, this event is all the more relevant because it is about a woman, Belgian in addition. The pianist is also the favorite of the "Jazz Pool 99" of the VRT (Belgian Dutch-speaking television.) Which voted her best pianist of the year and her CD "Silent Spring" was chosen as the best jazz record of the twelve. last months. In December 2000 Nathalie Loriers was awarded the Bobby Jaspar Prize by the jury of the Académie du Jazz de Paris.

In January 2002 Nathalie Loriers launched into the studio for a new adventure; this time she adds to the traditional trio three blowers among the best in Belgium: Frank Vagurée on sax (Leader of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra), Kurt Van Herck, sax and Laurent Blondiau, trumpet. The disc, Nathalie Loriers trio + extensions, " Tombouctou" was released in May 2002 and immediately gathered the critics' bravos: 4 stars in Stage Magazine, and Choc by Jazzman ... The album was consecrated best disc by the year by Radio Klara VRT.

At the same time, French television FR3 broadcasts a portrait of Nathalie Loriers as well as the trio + extensions. With this sextet training, she takes part in many Belgian and international festivals: the Gaume Jazz festival, the Brussels Jazz Marathon, Jazzmiddelheim, the Foire de Paris, the Coutances festival (France), the Braga festival (Portugal),. ..

In 2004, pianist Nathalie Loriers joined forces with Tunisian oudist Yadh Elyes to form the group "Chemins Croisés". The meeting of this duo, through two symbolic instruments of their cultures - the piano and the oud (Arabic lute), is a rare combination.

The brand new repertoire is written by Nathalie Loriers and Yadh Elyes. The compositions are steeped in jazz and meditative oriental music.

At the Gaume Festival, summer 2004, she received carte blanche for an exceptional concert: she will expand the basic formula of the duo to the quintet by inviting internationally renowned musicians such as Gianluigi Trovesi (clarinets), Joêl Allouche (percussions) and Tony Overwater (electric double bass and viola da gamba). The group will perform at the Munster festival in Germany, Bath in England and Jazz Mddelheim. Since May 2005, the young Belgian-Jordanian oudist, Karim Baggili now replaces Yadh Elyes within the group.

In 2005, La Deux released a portrait of Nathalie Loriers: “Nathalie Loriers, a lady in jazz”. This is a film directed by Pierre Barré and Thierry Loreau. Interviews, rehearsals and extracts from concerts immerse us in Nathalie's world.

Since 2002, Nathalie Loriers and Philippe Aerts have formed a duo offering a repertoire of originals and standards. This duo performs acoustically, the two musicians being constantly in search of a perfect tone of their instrument. sound than by the complicity of the musicians, this formula allows great freedom; the result is music that is sometimes energetic and swinging, sometimes intimate and delicate.

In 2007, the cultural center "de Bijloke" in Ghent offered Nathalie Loriers the opportunity to join forces with one of the groups in residence there, the "Spiegel String Quartet" for a unique concert.
This brand new project brings together a jazz quartet and a classical string quartet. Bert Joris, with his expert and creative pen breathes new life into the original compositions of Nathalie Loriers. This repertoire with pure melodic lines, subtle harmonies and refined arrangements, leaves a lot of room for improvisation in a balanced and original dialogue between the two quartets. The whole is supported by one of the most swinging rhythms of the moment: Philippe Aerts on double bass and Joost Van Schaik on drums.

After several concerts, the string quartet will be remodeled and composed of Igor Semenoff, Stefan Willems (violins), Aurélie Entringer (viola), and Jan Sciffer (cello).
The group recorded in February 2009 and presented the new album, "Moments of Eternity" at the 2007 Gentjazz in front of a delighted audience.

In September 2011, she won the Sabam composition competition within the framework of the Hoeilaert Jazz competition with 'Canzoncina', a piece selected as compulsory for the finalists of the competition.


Work as a "sidewoman"

Throughout her career Nathalie Loriers has always collaborated as a sidewoman with many musicians: Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, Christian Escoudé, David Linx, Diederik Wissels, Aldo Romano, Charlie Mariano,
Since 2002, she has participated in the European Big Band with soloists and conductors such as Bob Mintzer, Gianluigi Trovesi, Kenny Wheeler, ...

Also since 2002, Nathalie Loriers has been the pianist of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO).
The BJO performs with Belgian and international soloists such as Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Phil Woods, Philip Catherine, Bert Joris, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Tom Harrell, ...
The internationally renowned orchestra has taken part in numerous events: Jazz Sous Les Pommiers (France), Feldkirch Festival (Austria), The Cutting Room (New York), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Dublin Jazz Week ( Ireland), ...


Work as a pedagogue.

Along with her career as a musician, Nathalie Loriers has been teaching jazz piano since 1994 at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles ", as well as in various music academies of the French community in Belgium. For many years, she has also given lessons at the Academy. international summer school in Libramont.