Jazz trumpet player and composer Suzan Veneman captures audiences with her adventurous and soulful sound. After finishing her studies in the USA she has played an active part on the jazz scene both in the Netherlands and abroad. Comfortable in many genres of modern music, she can be seen playing with a wide variety of bands, including: the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, BvR Flamenco Big Band, Zack Lober’s 'NO FILL3R', Iman Spaargaren's 'Undercurrent Trio' 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 invited as guest composer at NDR big band in Hamburg, as part of their ‘Arrangement Podium’ in 2021 and was recipient of the ‘Week van de Jazz’ composers assignment in 2022. Suzan is the recipient of the annual 'Rogier van Otterloo Award' 2024, a prestigious award given to the 'most promising Dutch composer/arranger'. 

Veneman made her debut as a bandleader in 2019, further discovering and developing her voice as trumpet player and composer. Her first album ‘Migrations of the Mind’ with the Suzan Veneman Sextet came out in 2022, after which the band played a beautiful release-tour on several leading jazz festivals and stages throughout the Netherlands. She is currently working on her next album with this band, revolving around the topic of 'letting go'. The release of this brand new album is planned at the end of 2025. 

Suzan started her second project 'Zinder' in 2021, a sextet consisting of 4 trumpets, upright bass and drums. Her idea was to combine the dynamic force of 4 trumpets with the freedom of a chord-less trio. Within this special set-up, Veneman playfully explores different roles the trumpet takes on within the jazz idiom, using big band-like tuttis, desolate melodies, free improvisation and warm harmonic interplay.

With her latest release "The Art of Letting Go" (2025), Suzan returns to her sextet. An album with original repertoire that is moving, heartfelt, stormy, loving, and authentic. As Suzan puts it: “This album is a promise to myself and the world to keep growing, blooming, joking, dancing, crying and loving in all my human imperfection. Letting go means allowing yourself to step into an unknown space — an emptiness in which new beginnings unfold.”

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Suzan studied with Kurt Weiss, Alex Sipiagin, Joe Magnarelli, Jim Rotondi, Victor Lewis and Conrad Herwig, 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 debut album 'Migrations of the Mind' 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. The album release was celebrated at the Bimhuis, Amsterdam on March 12, 2022.

The sextet recorded their second album 'The Art of Letting Go' (2025) at Fattoria Musica in October of 2024. The music on this record revolves around the topic of 'letting go': exploring shadow work, dealing with depression, transformation, balancing life, letting in the new and the experience of rebirth.

Check tour dates here.

Personnel:
Suzan Veneman – trumpet / flugelhorn
Jasper van Damme – alto saxophone
Vincent Veneman - trombone 
Timothy Banchet – piano
Tijs Klaassen – double / electric bass
Wouter Kühne – drum set 

'Zinder' is an expression that conveys exhilaration, vibrancy, exuberance, being in the moment feeling alive. A word that perfectly evokes the feeling of what it is like to experience the sound and character of the trumpet. Suzan’s idea was to combine the dynamic force of 4 trumpets with the freedom of a chord-less trio, by adding bass and drums. Within this special set-up, Veneman playfully uses different roles the trumpet takes on within the jazz idiom in big band-like tuttis, desolate melodies, free improvisation and warm harmonic interplay. Her compositions are first and foremost inspired by and written for the players of the ensemble, tuning in on each character and their unique musical expression. Each piece paints a cinematic-like picture, that is charmingly brought to life by her astute writing.

The ‘Zinder’ ensemble was developed in response to an invitation from renowned trumpet player and composer Dave Douglas to write music for ‘Festival of New Trumpet Music’ in 2021. After receiving the Dutch 'Week of Jazz' composition assignment by the ‘VNJJ’ (Association for Dutch Jazz Venues) for this project, new repertoire was written and premiered at the Doelen Rotterdam in 2022. 

Zinder recorded their debut album at Wisseloord Studios on May 13th and 14th of 2022. The album release was held at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam on April 20th 2024, after which the band played numerous shows at outstanding festivals and venues in the Netherlands.

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

Big Bands/Large Ensemble

• Lucas Santana Grande Orquestra (2025)
• Nu Art Orchestra (Marike v Dijk) (Sept 2023 - present)
• Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (2023 - present)
• BvR Flamenco Big Band (2021 - present)
• Andor's Jazz Band (2016 - present)

Small group

• Efraim Schulz-Wackerbath Quartet (2022 - present)
• Undercurrent Trio + Suzan Veneman (2022 - present)
• NO FILL3R (Zack Lober) (2020 - present )
• Patrieck Bonnet Quintet (2019 - 2024)

Former

• Olaiá Music (2021 - 2023)
• Trio Sprank (2021 - 2025)
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra (2015 - 2023)
• Alice in Dixieland (2015 - 2023)

As a band leader: 

• Suzan Veneman Sextet - 'The Art of Letting Go' 

© Suzan Veneman Music - ℗©ZenneZ Records 2025

• Suzan Veneman - 'Zinder'

© Suzan Veneman Music - ℗©ZenneZ Records 2024

• Suzan Veneman Sextet - 'Migrations of the Mind' 

© Suzan Veneman Music - ℗©ZenneZ Records 2022

As a side-musician/featured artist:

• New Cool Collective Big Band - 'On Tour' (2025)
• Zack Lober - 'So We Could Live' (2025)
• Nu Art Orchestra (Marike van Dijk) - 'The Tivoli Sessions #1' (2025)
• Kloetie - 'Cicara' (single - featured artist) (2025)
• Kloetie - 'Fuzzy' (single - featured artist) (2025)
• Claudia Döffinger 'Torso Ventuno' - 'Nachtwache' (2025)
• The Christmas Project (Henk Kraaijeveld & Jan Willem van Delft) - 'Comfort and Joy' (2024)
• Simone - 'Amsterdam' (single - featured artist) (2024)
• Daan Herweg - 'In Search of the Lost Chord' (2024)
• Undercurrent Trio & Suzan Veneman - 'Cloud Song' (2024)
• Efraim Schulz-Wackerbath - 'Between Two Worlds' (2024)
• Frank Wolff - 'Release Me' (single - featured artist) (2024)
• Elsie Nouvel - 'Yesterday's Blues, Tomorrow's Lovesongs' (2023)
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra - 'Both Sides Now' (2023)
• Frank Wolff - 'Waiting' (single - featured artist) (2023)
• Zack Lober - 'NO FILL3R' (2023)
• Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra ft. Julia Oschewsky - 'Hold your Fire' (2022)
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra - 'Bleeding Amazonia' (2022)
• Lucas Santana Quintet - 'Ambivalence' (2022)
• Bonnet - 'Homage' (2021)
• Peter Beets & Henk Meutgeert New Jazz Orchestra - 'The Flying Dutchman' (2020)
• Alice in Dixieland - 'Ain't She Sweet' (2018)
• Evelien Storm - 'Little Lights' (2018)
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra - 'Octopus' (2018)
• Millennium Jazz Orchestra - 'Looking East' (2016)
• Brian Blaker - 'Pure Imagination' (2015)
• Stageband Jazz Orchestra - 'Journey to the Heart' (2014)

Awards/recognition 

• Recipient of the Rogier van Otterloo Award (2024)
• 'Week van de Jazz' jazz composers assignment, commissioned by VNJJ (2022)
• 'Into Eternity' by Suzan Veneman - Jazz Comp Graz Big Band Composers Competitions prize for best female composer (2020/2022)
• '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)

Commissions

• 'Pan de Mano Ajena' arr. for Jazz Orchestra of the Concergebouw (Jazz Influencers ft. Maripepa Contreras) ('25)
• Composition for 'Bach to Jazz' for the Peter Beets New Jazz Orchestra (2025)
• 'Olive Branch' arrangement for Ricciotti (2025)
• 'Song for Young Audiences' composition for Nu Art Orchestra (2025)
• 'Balancing Act' arrangement for Nu Art Orchestra (2025)
• 'Song For Gaia' - a composition for the Young Metropole Orchestra as Rogier van Otterloo Award recipient (2024-2025)
• Arrangement 'Sticking to My Guns' for NSJO (Nederlands Studenten Jazz Orkest) (2024)
• Arrangement '501 Interlude' for Smandem & Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (2023)
• Arrangement 'Thriller' for NSJO (Nederlands Studenten Jazz Orkest) (2023)
• 'Week van de Jazz' Composers assignment, new music for 'Zinder' (premiered at De Doelen Rotterdam, April 29th 2022). 
• 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)

Check my music/media/merch page for offers of some of my arrangements and compositions. For further inquiry/request please feel free to contact me at any time!