Marc Mangen began his music studies in his homeland Luxembourg and switched to Strasbourg Conservatory when he was 19. But, as almost every jazz musician of his generation, he is mainly self-taught. He played virtually every style of music with many different bands and focused then on pure jazz piano, his first love.

Marc Mangen’s style is strongly shaped by his constant research on new harmonic and melodic possibilities. His eclectic style, which is nevertheless very personal, embraces almost the whole history of jazz piano. As a solo piano project, Marc recorded the album « Piano Music » in 2015.

Marc is also a composer. His work covers jazz tunes as well as compositions for large jazz ensembles, especially his own 8-piece band "Afrodisax". As a classical trained musician, he also writes Lieder, choir works and organ music. 

Marc won in 2012 the "National Big Band Composing Competition" in Luxembourg with honorary mention.

 

: Afrodisax

In 1983 he founded Afrodisax, an eight-piece band based in Metz (FR) in which he composes and plays the piano. The band gathers many influences from the stride pianists to the greatest musicians, performing Mangen’s themes as well as famous compositions. They recorded two albums. Mangen recreated the band in 2006 now based in Brussels.

: Marc Mangen Trio

Marc Mangen formed his trio in 2008, composed today by  Boris Schmidt (double bass) and Niels Engel (drums). Over the years a huge collection of jazz themes of all kind was created, mainly based on improvisation and interaction.
The Marc Mangen Trio has recorded several albums on the label Neuklang Records (DE).

: Rubrica Art Ensemble

A big newcomer on the national jazz scene, the Rubrica Art Ensemble (created in 2013 by Marc Mangen (piano), Maxime Bender (saxophone) and Pol Belardi (bass)) aims at promoting creative contemporary jazz in Luxembourg, interpreting works by native composers at a high level, and experimenting with the creative resources of improvised music.

 

 

Has played:

Gaume Jazz Festival, Bruxelles, Lie?ge (BE), Jazz au Chardon, Metz, St. Avold, Strasbourg, Bordeaux (FR), Jazz im Brunnenhof, Saarbrücken, Weimar (DE), Sibiu Jazz Festival, Brasow (RO), Jazz Piano Solo Festival Prag (CZ), JZ Club Guangzhou, Shanghai Concert Hall, Shenzhen Poly Theater (CN), Like a Jazz Machine (LU), USA, Egypt...

 

Press:

"Strains of Delight and Despair takes the listener on a emotional journey of spatial wonder with a three dimensional sonic depth of field as vibrant and full filling as one could imagine. Breathtakingly beautiful." Brent Black, in Critical Jazz, 2013 about Marc Mangen Trio’s "Strains of Delight and Despair"

"The Luxembourgish pianist Marc Mangen has just released a new album in which alone at the piano, he demonstrates his talent and eclecticism."  Florent Toniello, in Woxx, 2015 about Marc Mangen’s "Piano Music"