Jazz trumpet player Suzan Veneman is quickly establishing her place on the scene, capturing audiences with her adventurous and soulful sound. After finishing her studies in the USA she has been fulfilling her role as successful musician and promising composer/arranger. Comfortable with many genres in of modern music, she can be seen playing with a wide variety of bands, including the Beets Meutgeert New Jazz Orchestra, the Millennium Jazz Orchestra, Zack Lober’s NO FILL3R, Sprank, the Patrieck Bonnet Quintet and her own ambitious projects ‘Zinder’ and the Suzan Veneman Sextet. 

Her early achievements include being finalist at the Prinses Christina Concours (NL, 2010) and partaking in the exclusive Jazz Rising Stars Program at Ravinia IL, (USA, 2013) lead by former jazz giant David Baker.

Suzan has also excelled as a skilled composer and arranger, being a finalist at the ASMAC Big Band composers and arrangers competition in LA (USA, 2014) and awardee Jazz Comp Graz Big Band Composers Competition in Austria in 2021. She was also invited as a guest composer at NDR big band in Hamburg, as part of their ‘Arrangement Podium’ in 2021 and was chosen as 1 of 10 composers to present her new work at ‘Week van de Jazz’ in 2022.

Veneman began her role as bandleader in 2019, using the opportunity for new musical ideas and compositions. Her sextet quickly became one of Suzan’s most meaningful creative outlets. The powerful horn trio is backed by a lively and virtuosic rhythm section that bring her compositions to life. Her music fully embraces the Jazz art form with plenty of improvisation, individual expression and adventurous interaction. The sextet recorded their fist album ‘Migrations of the Mind’ in early 2021, which will be released on March 12th 2022 at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. On the album Suzan explores the stages of grief in a 3-piece suite, capturing the emotions she went through after being diagnosed with MS. It is a powerful journey that concludes in an energetic finale, exhibiting newly found acceptance and vigor. 

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Suzan studied with Kurt Weiss, Alex Sipiagin, Joe Magnarelli and Jim Rotondi, among others. 

Suzan formed her band after an invitation to play as featured artist at the Jazz te Gast festival in Zuidhorn, Groningen in 2019. The band started out as a quintet, but later on she decided to ask her brother Vincent to join the group, forming a sextet. 

This project has become one of Suzan's major outlets of musical expression. It is a statement of her personal and musical development so far. You will find that her music is deeply rooted in traditional jazz, but also contains a high dosis of soul and influences from funk and fusion. Her strong, convincing melodies are backed by a dynamic rhythm section, leaving plenty of room for each band member's own musical interpretation.

The band recorded music for Suzan's new album 'Migrations of the Mind' last year (2021) during the pandemic. On the album Suzan explores the stages of grief in a 3-piece suite, capturing the emotions she went through after being diagnosed with MS. It is a powerful journey that concludes in an energetic finale, exhibiting newly found acceptance and vigor. 

Personnel:
Suzan Veneman – trumpet / flugelhorn
Joao Driessen – tenor saxophone
Vincent Veneman - trombone 
Timothy Banchet – piano
Tijs Klaassen – double / electric bass
Wouter Kühne – drum set 

One of Suzan's newly founded projects is ‘Zinder’, an ensemble she formed after being invited to write new music for Festival of New Trumpet Music (directed by famous trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas). Her idea was to combine the powerful force of 4 trumpets with a fiery duo on bass and drums. Playfully using all the different sounds of the trumpet in big band-like passages, desolate melodies, dynamic tuttis and harmonious interplay. The bass and drums are like a glue to it all and give the music extra color and direction. 
The compositions are based on varying cinematic-like events that are charmingly brought to life by her astute writing. By giving every player room to explore and keep their own character a very special blend of sounds and personalities is created that makes the music diverse, alive and exciting. 

Suzan was commissioned to write new music for the prestigious ‘Week van de Jazz’ composition contest, that premiered at De Doelen Rotterdam on April 29th. The 'Week van de Jazz' composition assignment, an initiative of VNJJ and Buma Cultuur, commissions 10 aspiring jazz composers to write and perform new music for ‘International Jazz Day 2022’. (More info: https://vnjj.nl/wkvdjazz) 

Zinder recently recorded their debut album at Wisseloord Studios on May 13th and 14th. The album release is scheduled early 2023. 

 
Personnel:
Suzan Veneman – trumpet & flugelhorn
Alvaro Jimenez - trumpet & flugelhorn
Gidon Nunez Vas - trumpet & flugelhorn
Kurt Weiss - trumpet & flugelhorn
Tijs Klaassen – bass
Wouter Kühne – drum set 

• Zinder (Suzan Veneman)   2021 - present
• Trio Sprank     2021 - present
• Suzan Veneman Sextet    2019 - present
• Patrieck Bonnet Quintet    2019 - present
• NO FILL3R (Zack Lober)    2020 - present 
• Beets New Jazz Orchestra    2018 - present
• JazzArt Orchestra    2018 - present
• Andor's Jazz Band    2016 - present
• Alice in Dixieland    2015 - present
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra    2015 - present

Commissions: 

• 'Week van de Jazz' Composers assignment, new music for 'Zinder', premiere at De Doelen April 29th. 
• Arrangement of 'Cry Me A River' for the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (2022)
• Arrangement of 'How Deep Is The Ocean' for Loet van der Lee's 'Rode Hert Sessions part II' (2021)
• Arrangement of 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town' for the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (2021)
• Original compositions for Festival of New Trumpet Music (artistic director Dave Douglas) (2021)
• 'Sljocht & Rjocht' (Hiske Oosterwijk) - arrangement for the Noordpool Orkest (2020)
• 'Light Up' by Suzan Veneman - arrangement and composition for the Utrechtse Studenten Bigband (2020)
• 'The Deep' by Maaike den Dunnen - arrangement for big band (2020)
• 'The Jones' by Dave Douglas - arrangement for studio orchestra (2019)
• 'Project Herfstkleuren' the music of Harry Bannink: arrangements for vocals, trumpet, acoustic guitar and piano (2018)
• 'The Great Illusion' by Evelien Storm - horn arrangement (2018)
• 'Common Ground' by Sietske Roscam Abbing - arrangement for big band (2017)

Recognitions: 

• 'Into Eternity' by Suzan Veneman - Jazz Comp Graz Big Band Composers Competitions prize for best female composer (2020/2021)
• 'The Start Of Something Good' by Suzan Veneman - Jazz Comp Graz Big Band Composers Competition finalist (2017)
• 'The Storyteller' by Suzan Veneman - ASMAC Big Band Composers Competition 2nd prize (2014)