©
Gaël Maleux
Félix Zurstrassen
- Instruments : Electric bass, Double bass
- Date of birth : 04/03/1987 - Verviers
Born into a family of musicians, Félix Zurstrassen has been immersed in music since childhood. He discovered the electric bass at the age of 14, rapidly developing a passion for the instrument. Jazz and improvisation quickly became an important part of his everyday practice.
From 2005 to 2010, he studied under Michel Hatzigeorgiou at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and graduated con laude. He then turned more particularly to the double bass for a few years. After a year studying under Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, he graduated in 2013 from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel in the class of the French double bass player Christophe Wallemme.
Félix Zurstrassen is a very versatile musician that can adapt easily to the specificities of many musical genres and styles. He quickly became part of the Belgian jazz scene as a sideman for numerous projects from different backgrounds. This is how he became one of the most appreciated Belgian bassists of his generation. As proof, Zurstrassen was awarded the Sabam "Young Talent" Jazz Award in 2017 "as he serves as a focal and rallying point for the entire young Belgian jazz scene by contributing to the main projects that carry it forward”.
Félix Zurstrassen is currently the leader of NOVA, an international quintet at the crossroads of modern and contemporary jazz, shaped over time alongside some of the most remarkable musicians of their generation. The Belgian bassist brilliantly combines the sophistication of his music with a clear, collective, and generous experience, carried by outstanding improvisers. His longtime partners include Franco-Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras, Dutch alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder, British pianist Kit Downes, and Belgian drummer Antoine Pierre. Three albums highlight these European musicians and trace the evolution of the project, from a trio to a quartet, and finally to a quintet. The project remains open to new artistic collaborations, regularly working with top international musicians. Two major figures in American jazz, pianist Aaron Parks and drummer Jeff Ballard, join the group for a five-concert tour of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in March 2026.
In addition to his career as a leader, Félix Zurstrassen has participated in numerous artistic performances on the national and international scene in various formations ranging from jazz, to pop-rock, to funk. His main groups are/have been Antoine Pierre "Urbex" with Bram De Looze, Jean- Paul Estiévenart, Bert Cools and Frédéric Malempré; Typh Barrow; Fabrizio Cassol "Conference of the Birds"; Simon Comté 4et avec Wajdi Riahi; LG Jazz Collective with Guillaume Vierset; Pierre de Surgères Trio with Teun Verbruggen; Pirly Zurstrassen 4tet with Erwin Vann; David Thomaere Trio; Alain Pierre Tree-Ho!; and The KMG's with Piotr Paluch.
He has shared the stage and/or recorded with Magic Malik, Jozef Dumoulin, Reinier Baas, Teis Semey, Stéphane Galland, James Maddren, Nicola Andrioli, Maxime Sanchez, Alexandra Grimal, Bo Vanderwerf, Steven Delannoye, Toine Thys, Steve Houben, Robin Verheyn, Nicolas Kummert, Nathalie Loriers, Pascal Mohy, Alex Koo, Lionel Beuvens, Sylvain Debaisieux, Peter Hertmans, Frédéric Leroux, Lorenzo Di Maio, Alexandre Cavalière, Greg Houben, Dré Pallemaerts, Lieven Venken, Igor Gehenot, Fabian Fiorini, Bruno Castellucci, Jasper Steverlinck, BJ Scott, Matthew Irons from Puggy and many other musicians.
