Manten Van Gils

Instruments : Trombone, Composer, Arranger
Date of birth : 30/11/1979

Manten Van Gils started playing the trombone at the age of eight; a passion that kept on growing ever since. Got lessons in public music schools of Mechelen, Antwerp and Leuven, in Jazz-Studio Antwerp and at a range of summer schools throughout the years. He was taught by Wim Becu, Ben Haemhouts, Phil Abraham (B), Ilya Reyngoud (NL), Marshall Gilkes, Andy Martin (USA), Avishai Cohen (tpt, USA), Ambrose Akinmusire (USA),… He is active as a freelancer in a variety of formations, mostly jazz & big band. Please have a look at the bands and projects on this site. Manten adores the virtuosity of jazz trombone players such as Bill Watrous or Frank Rosolino aside from the very lyrical playing of Bert Joris (tpt) or Phil Abraham.

Manten The Composer was the result of a pure urge to create. Combining early voice leading methods with functional jazz harmony and ignoring all kinds of police attitude, Manten creates a wide variety of music for a wide variety of ensembles: from solo piano over string quartet to symphonic orchestra, from jazz combo to bigband (including arrangements), from schlager to cross rythm. Stylistically, the listener may only be confused when attempting to classify. Manten is had reviews and masterclasses by experience composers/arrangers such as Bart Picqeur, Boudewijn Cox, Lode Mertens, Pierre Bertrand and peer reviews by musicians.

Aside composing, he wrote arrangements for Q-Some Big Band feat. Paul Michiels (6 arr.) and for the project ‘Here's to Ella' (7 arr.) with Ibernice Macbean (NL).

He is the musical director and main composer of the Q-Some Big Band.