Education:

Born in Aalst, Belgium, 1967. Kris Goessens started his music career as a child playing the organ and french horn. He switched to piano at the age of seventeen when he discovered Jazz. Next he followed courses in Belgium and France with Rob Madna, Eric Vermeulen, Rob van Kreeveld, Hein van de Geyn, Joe Lovano and Richie Beirach.
Kris Goessens moved to Holland in 1988 to study at the Conservatory of Rotterdam, piano with Rob van Kreeveld and composition with Bob Brookmeyer. He graduated Cum Laude in September 1994, both for teaching and performing. In 1995 he was awarded a scholarship by a Dutch Art fund. Through this scholarship he was given the opportunity to live in New York during 1996/1997 and study privately with Kenny Werner, Gary Peacock, Jim McNeely and Richie Beirach.

Important Performances:

Kris Goessens performed with Gary Peacock, Lee Konitz, Adam Nussbaum, Jim Hall, Mike Manieri, Jim Mc.Neely, Mats Vinding and Joe Lovano. In March 1993 Bob Brookmeyer invited Kris Goessens to play a series of duo-concerts in Paris which were recorded live for the French radio. This was the beginning of a long term partnership which resulted in different projects and formations. Drummer Dre Pallemaerts and bass-player Ricardo del Fra joined the duo and the Bob Brookmeyer New Quartet was born. They played in major festivals throughout Europe and many of them were broadcasted live. The quartet recorded the cd ‘Paris Suite’. For this CD the Bob Brookmeyer New Quartet was honoured with the ‘Prix du meilleur disque de l’annee’ by the ‘Academie du jazz’ in France.
Bob Brookmeyer asked him to join Brookmeyer’s European big band the ‘New Art Orchestra’. Brookmeyer has been composing new music for this band. Through the years, the ‘New Art Orchestra’ has recorded and toured with Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Michael Brecker and Joe Lovano. The musical companionship with Brookmeyer led to a recording with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. A selection of Kris Goessens’s compositions, arranged by Bob Brookmeyer, was recorded and broadcasted featuring Kris Goessens on piano.
Almost from the beginning of his musical career Kris Goessens played together with the great Belgium saxophone-player Kurt van Herck. They formed a duo and a quartet and recorded the CD ‘Another Day, Another Dollar’.
Since 2007 Kris has been a member of the "ClazzEnsemble" led by Gerard Kleijn and Dick de Graaf. The ensemble consists of top classical and jazz musicians from several generations.
Kris Goessens was also member of the "Ensemble a ‘l improviste" with Jasper Blom, Joris Roelofs, Clemens van der Veen and Joost Lijbaart. Their concert in the Bimhuis has been broadcasted live on internet TV.
Kris Goessens started his own trio in 2009 with Hein van de Geyn and Matthieu Chazerenc. In May 2009 they played their first concert broadcasted live for Belgian radio ‘Klara’, produced by Marc Van Den Hoof.

On June 6th 2012, Ensemble a L'improviste played an inspired concert in Lantaren/Venster Rotterdam.  You can listen to this concert, that was broadcasted on VPRO radio, by following the link below (special attention for some great piansolos at a.o. 48 min.50 sec  & 1u.23 min).

https://www.vpro.nl/speel~POMS_VPRO_175602~vprojazzlive~.html

Teaching:

Kris Goessens was teaching piano, theory/solfege, composition and improvisation at the conservatory of Rotterdam and piano and band coaching at the conservatory of Amsterdam. He was (and still is) an inspiration for many young and talented students like Alex Koo, Thomas Maasz, Koen Schalkwijk and Loran Witteveen, to name just a few of them.