‘ Belgium is too small for pianist Alex Koo ’ – De Tijd
‘ Stunningly original ’ – Downbeat Jazz Magazine
‘ Fabulous technique, sounding downright genius at times. ’ – London Jazz News
‘ When listening, Keith Jarrett’s name came to mind several times. Not because Koo’s playing is similar to that of the American master, but because it is of the same exceptionally high level. ’ – Trouw
‘ Koo’s compositions and playing are absolutely world class. ’ – Written in Music
Son of a Belgian missionary sent to Japan in the seventies and a Japanese peace activist, pianist and composer Alex Koo refuses to be boxed into any traditional category. As the renowned German Jazzthetik magazine put it, “Alex Koo defies categorization.”
Praised as “stunningly original” (Downbeat Jazz Magazine), Koo is known for creating music that transcends genre boundaries, blending jazz, indie, contemporary classical and film music with innovative freedom. A native of rural West-Flanders, Belgium, he began his musical journey as a classical piano prodigy at the age of five. In his teens, he developed a passion for jazz and improvisation, earning praise from jazz legends such as Kurt Elling, Kenny Werner, and Brad Mehldau. Koo has even been described as “of the same rare high level as Keith Jarrett” (Trouw). His 2019 album, Appleblueseagreen, featuring Mark Turner and Ralph Alessi, was included in Downbeat’s Best Albums of the Year.
His upcoming album Blame It on My Chromosomes, releasing on Feb 7th 2025 (W.E.R.F. records), features his long standing trio with Dré Pallemaerts on drums (Toots Thielemans, Melanie de Biasio, Stéphane Belmondo, Bert Joris), and Lennart Heyndels on double bass (Jef Neve, Ben Sluijs, Kaja Draksler), representing the very best of the Belgian jazz scene. Their intuitive chemistry and artistry are the driving force behind the new album’s emotive power, with special guest Ambrose Akinmusire adding a transcendent layer on two standout tracks.
Alex has an impressive list of prestigious awards to his name, including a first prize at the Prinses Christina Concours (NL), a B-Jazz Award for Best Composition (BE), a Fulbright Award (US/BE), a BAEF Award (US/BE), and a Prins Bernhard Cultuurfondsprijs (NL). Additionally, he was already winning awards at the age of ten at the Cantabile Concours for classical piano, where he also received two additional distinctions: the “Emmanuel Durlet” Prize for the best interpretation of the compulsory piece and the “Chris Van Hoof” Prize for the youngest laureate. Currently, Alex is professor of jazz piano at the LUCA School of Arts in Leuven, Belgium (Lemmens Conservatory).
Koo studied at the Conservatories of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and New York University (Steinhardt) on a full scholarship, where he also served as an adjunct professor.