Yonga Sun is a musical chameleon. He is praised for his dynamic, inventive and adventurous drumming. Always on-the-edge and in-the-moment he keeps propelling the music to new levels.

Born and raised in Germany, he grew up right next to the famous "Leverkusener Jazztage", a festival that gave him the chance to see great players and a wide variety of music during his teenage years. He practically lived in the local music school and at one point played in two big bands, several combos and a symphonic orchestra where he commanded five timpanies (the tuning of which had to be changed while playing! :-).

After high school he studied music in the Netherlands and now divides his time between Arnhem (the Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium).

He was named "Most Promising Student" at the Arnhem Conservatory in 2001 and won the "Dutch Jazz Competition" in 2005, including the "Best Soloist Prize".

Ever since he discovered Jazz at the age of 14 he has cherished and caressed his musical love. Back then he didn't understand the music, but felt that it was great. By now he's found more and better ways to express his musicality, but still doesn't know what it all means. :-)

Yonga is more of a powerful percussive colorist than a drummer in the traditional sense. To him music is like a beautifully flowing river. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, never the same, yet always clear. Communication and interaction are key elements in his approach, relying on daring and trust between the musicians. He utilizes an extreme dynamic range on his quest to combine simplicity and virtuosity.

To him a song can be different with every rendition. That's why you don't want him playing in a cover band…

He also likes to be involved in interdisciplinary projects with dance, theatre and poetry and hopes to do more of that in the future.

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