Fred Van Hove

Piano

Van Hove studied piano, music theory and harmony. With saxophonist Kris Wanders and drummer Jan van den Ven, Van Hove took his first steps towards free improvisation in the early 1960s. After a first meeting with the trio of Peter Brötzmann (then with Peter Kowald and Mani Neumeier) Van Hove played with Brötzmann, Kowald, Buschi Niebergall und Sven-Åke Johansson.

After recordings with the Brötzmann Oktett (Machine Gun, 1968) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, 1969) 1970 saw the birth of what is probably Europe’s best-known trio, the Trio Brötzmann/van Hove/Bennink, with Han Bennink.

Van Hove has also played as a soloist at festivals for New Music and in duo with saxophonist Cel Overberghe. He also worked in line-ups with Steve Lacy, Lol Coxhill, Mangelsdorff, Phil Wachsmann and Vinko Globokar.

His Musica Libera groups since 1980 have included Paul Rutherford, Radu Malfatti, Günter Sommer, Mark Charig, Hans Reichel, Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Hannes Bauer and Annick Nozati.

Van Hove regularly shares his research results in improvised music in workshops and master classes; he also composes for various projects, and since 1972 he has been a member of the Belgian Improvisational Musicians Working Group.

Fred Van Hove is part of Pianolab Festival 2011