Kim holds a Master’s in Arts and a Bachelor’s in Education from Ghent University, and a Master’s in Jazz and Pop Singing from the Maastricht Conservatory. She honed her voice and craft during masterclasses with absolute icons such as Dianne Reeves, Sheila Jordan, Norma Winstone, David Linx, Jef Neve and John Abercrombie.
Whilst studying in Maastricht, she laid the foundations for the Kim Versteynen Trio, alongside pianist Arne Van Coillie and double bassist Flor Van Leugenhaeghe. With the arrival of drummer Luc Vanden Bosch, the group expanded to become the Kim In the Middle quartet. Their acclaimed debut album (2011) was followed by Open & Close (2014) and The 7 Year Itch (2018), on which drummer Gert-Jan Dreessen further enriched the band’s sound. Alongside her regular quartet, Kim is involved in a variety of projects. Her duo with guitarist Tim Finoulst won the Concours des Jeunes Talents at the Leffe Jazz Nights in Dinant in 2013. Their debut album First Time (2014) was followed by an extensive international tour, including a support slot for the Dave Douglas Quintet. More than a decade after their debut, the duo weaves their musical evolution together on the narrative album Signs, Signals and Sirens. Previously, she also explored traditional swing as lead vocalist of the Hepcats, with whom she recorded the album Easy Street (2012) and brought authentic jazz from the 1930s and 1940s to festivals and lindy hop dance floors.
Her artistic appetite, incidentally, extends beyond traditional jazz formats. Kim has shone in crossover projects such as *Gershwin: Classical Music Meets Jazz* and created unique soundscapes with carillonneur Jan Verheyen in carillon towers around the world. Since 2017, she has been focusing on the ‘song of life’ in all its universal facets with pianist Arne Van Coillie in the duo Here’s To Life! From fado to chanson: in this intimate setting, the pure song and the stories of life take centre stage, rich with emotional depth.
As a much sought-after vocal coach, Kim shares her expertise in healthy vocal technique, artistry and improvisation. She is currently affiliated with Knst. Hasselt and the pre-professional arts school Musart.
