Ramon van Merkenstein believes in combining traditional and experimental styles of music. He pursues grooving sound, compelling rhythms and surprising harmonies.

Ramon graduated the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with a Master of Music degree for jazz double bass in 2017. His internationally recognized conservatory teachers – as well as his intensive studies of recordings by legendary jazz musicians – have inspired Ramon to find his own musical voice.

Ramon’s musical creations and arrangements demonstrate his rich imagination and sophistication in jazz composition. Guided by fresh harmonies and grooving rhythms, he has developed his own characteristic style.

Audiences say it’s a great experience to watch Ramon perform on stage. He radiates his own sound with jazz energy, while his interplay with other band members is always musically inventive and coherent.

Prepare to be surprised!

Gabriele di Franco, born in Italy and naturalized Belgian, is a multi-award-winning composer, writer, and guitarist, whose music blends jazz roots, classical influences, and modern grooves into emotionally rich, story-driven works. With a dramaturgical approach to composition, he crafts music that unfolds like a story — where every note is a character, every silence a breath in the narrative.
He graduated in 2014 with a degree in Jazz Guitar from the Nino Rota Conservatory (IT) and completed an additional year of studies at the renowned Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien. In 2018, he earned a Master’s degree in Composition and Arrangement at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he studied under composers such as Kris Defoort, Lode Mertens, and Peter Swinnen. He also regularly takes private lessons with composers including Michel Bisceglia (BE), Ed Partyka (USA), and John Hollenbeck (USA).
He is currently pursuing a postmaster’s degree at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under Michel Bisceglia, dedicated to researching how music can guide, transform, or emphasize scenes in cinematic and animated storytelling. As a final project, he is composing a new score for “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” (1926) by Lotte Reiniger — the world’s oldest surviving animated feature. This reimagining offers a space to merge historical film with contemporary musical insight.
Gabriele has developed an extensive discography and regularly composes for both large and small ensembles, which has earned him several awards and recognitions, including: 3rd Prize – “Spheres of a Genius” Composition Competition by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra & JamMusicLab Vienna – “5-08-15 for Carla” for Symphony Orchestra (Austria, 2023) Special Prize – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “Nguè” (Japan, 2023) 1st Prize – Scrivere in Jazz International Composition & Arrangement Competition for Jazz Orchestra – “Betsabea” (Italy, 2022) Special Prize & Mention – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “Berlin” (Japan, 2022) Special Prize – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “Acqua” (Japan, 2022) Winner Composer – European Composers (Sound of a Generation), SJO/CGN (Germany, 2021) 3rd Prize – Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest – “Berlin” (Finland, 2021) Winner – Elevator Jazz Pitch, injazz.nl, Berthold Records – LULELA (Netherlands, 2019) Gabriele is also active in the opera and music-theatre field, in fact, in 2021 premiered LULELA – Lui, Lei, L’Altro (LOD muziektheater): a layered jazz concert with narration, where the fate of the protagonist—and the direction of the entire performance—was determined by the audience. In LULELA, Gabriele explored reading as a theatrical experience, transforming the audience into active participants who influenced the development of the story, chapter by chapter. This was achieved through the use of animated projections of text, providing a vivid and imaginative reading experience that fostered a strong connection between the audience, the narrator, and the performers.
For LULELA, Gabriele was the composer, writer, performer, and director.
In January 2021, LULELA was published in book form by Albatros il Filo, and received multiple awards and recognitions: High Mention for Cultural Merit – Mr. Hyde Awards 2021 2nd Prize – International Award “Europa in Versi”, Como 2021 Critic’s Award – Nero su Bianco, Mino De Blasio Literary Prize (10th edition), 2022 2nd Prize (Published Books Category) – Literary Award “Canti…di versi” (2nd edition), 2022 Gabriele is also passionate about teaching. He has experience in both public and private sectors as a guitar teacher and as an instructor in jazz arrangement, composition, and theory. He currently teaches Composition, Guitar, and Theory at the Wilrijk Academy Antwerpen (Belgium).