Ruben van Rompaey (1978), fascinated by drums and percussion, started to play drums at a very early age. Along with his early passion for Jazz music, he immediately developed a strong interest in ethnic musical styles and sounds, including interest in the influential Turkish multi-instrumentalist and musicologist, Yasar Saka.



Ruben studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory Holland and obtained his Masters Degree (cum laude) in drums and percussion. He then traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, where he lived and was classically trained by well-known percussion masters over there. 1999, Ruben won the Tama Drummers Award, 2000 he won the Erasmus Rotterdam Jazz Award, 2001 a scholarship, amongst others.



Currently, Ruben is a teacher in the Jazz and World Music Departments of the Rotterdam Conservatory, Holland. He is also a very active as a professional drums and percussion artist and has performed at a variety of international Jazz and Belly Dance festivals, which has brought him to Turkey, West Africa, USA and Japan. As a special guest he toured the Pacific Northwest of USA together with the group Solace Live (USA). Ruben currently has two world percussion releases on the American record label, Eventide Music Productions (www.empcds.com).