Biography

Born into a family of musicians, Félix Zurstrassen has been surrounded by music since his childhood. He discovered the electric bass when he was 14 years old and since then, has never stopped loving and playing the instrument. Jazz music and improvisation quickly took an important place in his instrumental practice.

From 2005 to 2010 he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in Michel Hatzigeorgiou’s class and obtained his diploma with a high grade.Then he dedicated several years of his time to the study of the double bass. Following a year of studying under Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, he graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in Christophe Wallemme’s double bass class. 

Félix Zurstrassen is a versatile musician and has the ability to easily adapt to many specificities, genres and musical styles. He has quickly become integrated on the Belgian jazz scene as a side-man on many varying and different projects. That’s how he has become one of the most appreciated bass players of his generation. As proof of this, Félix Zurstrassen was awarded Sabam's “Young Talent” Jazz Award in 2017 "because he serves as a convergence and rallying point for the young Belgian jazz scene by contributing to the principal projects that define it.”

Félix Zurstrassen launched his first solo project working closely with the celebrated Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras and his loyal accomplice, the talented Antoine Pierre on drums. The repertoire carefully composed by Félix Zurstrassen is at the crossroads of modern jazz and contemporary jazz. While the melodic and harmonic universe of Félix Zurstrassen’s compositions is inspired by musicians such as Brad Mehldau and Pat Metheny, the (poly-) rhythmic universe is influenced by the conceptual music of Steve Coleman and Aka Moon.  The album NOVA of Félix Zurstrassen will be released in February 2020 on the label Igloo Records. The alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder appears on the album as a special guest.

You might have heard him playing with Antoine Pierre Urbex, Typh Barrow, LG Jazz Collective, Pierre de Surgères Trio avec Teun Verbruggen, David Thomaere Trio, Igor Gehenot Trio, Fabrizio Cassol Conference of the Birds,  Ben van Gelder, Magic Malik, Alain Pierre Tree-Ho !, Musicazur, Steve Houben, Charles Loos, Nicola Andrioli, Fabian Fiorini, Vincent Bruyninckx, Stéphane Galland, Alexandra Grimal, Bo Vanderwerf, The KMG’s, Lionel Beuvens, Stijn Cools, Yves Peeters Hallucinations, Nicolas Kummert, Jacques Pirotton, Lorenzo Di Maio, Alexandre Cavalière, Peter Hertmans, Lieven Venken, Sorin Zlat and many others.