Arne Van Dongen

Arne Van Dongen is a double bass player who is active in numerous musical contexts and covers huge musical grounds : classical music, improvised music, world music, etc...

He started playing recorder, switched to drums finally got to double bass. He attended the conservatories of Antwerp and Brussels. First prizes for double bass, music history and written harmony.

As a freelance musician, his experience in classical music is impressive, as he worked in symphonic orchestras as the Monnaie Opera, the Flemish Opera (Vlos), the radio (VRT), Antwerp Philharmonie (KFOVV), and in Liège and in chamber orchestras such as Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, Australian Chamber Orchestra, I Fiamminghi and Prima La Musica. He also played in ensembles as Oxalys and Champ d'action.

Since summer '97, he is also active in improvised music and jazz-oriented groups. Collaborations with Barre Phillips, Joëlle Leandre, Gerri Hemingway, Eric Vermeulen, Diederik Wissels (a.o. SILENT SONG SEXTET, his Federico Mompou project with a.o. Laurent Blondiau and Bart Defoort), Véronique Bizet, Christian Leroy, Erik Thielemans...etc.

He plays in groups such as ONE ONE ONE (Mathieu HA), Koba (Jan Rzewski), Snark (Anja Kowalski).

Arne worked also in music theatre (Lod in Gent and in London with Sarah Goldfarb) and for dance (The company of Loïc Touzé -France-) and accompaning dance workshops in Ménagerie de Verre (Paris).

He gave an improvisation workshop at Les Bains : Connective and now. In September 2000, he starts working as musical co-ordinator for the chamber music ensemble OXALYS.

He is also active with the world music band Panta Rhei (with a.o. Steve Houben, Pascal Chardome and Didier Laloy, with whom he recorded a CD and toured worldwide).