Koen Plaetinck

Born in Belgium, Koen Plaetinck was attracted to the marimba from a very young age. During his musical education at the local academy in Sint-Niklaas, he became very curious about this big instrument with so many different notes and pitches. Marimba later became Koen's preferred instrument at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, where he graduated with the highest distinction for percussion, specializing on marimba.

Photo by Dirk Vervaet

Koen has participated in master classes with Robert Van Sice, Jean Geoffroy and Katarzyna Mycka, and completed his studies in the Elective Student Course at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo under Keiko Abe.

As a performer, Koen explores the marimba as a musical and sensitive percussion instrument, resulting in a choice of repertoire that is rich in Japanese nature-inspired compositions and also in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

As a professional percussion and timpani player, Koen plays in some of Europe's leading baroque ensembles, including Anima Eterna and La Petite Bande. Playing frequently with baroque specialists such as Phillipe Herreweghe, Jos Van Immerseel and Sigiswald Kuijken is a never-ending inspiration and lends Koen a unique interpretive insight for Bach pieces on marimba.

Koen's first solo album, to be released in 2009, features Bach compositions and is a marriage of Koen's baroque ensemble experience and his love for the beauty of the marimba.