About

Kevin van den Elzen is an in demand jazz-drummer and bandleader originally from the Netherlands who works and resides in Los Angeles.

He has worked with musicians such as John Clayton, Dick Oatts, Bob Mintzer, Larry Carlton, the New York Voices, Bob Sheppard, Gerald Clayton,  Anthony Wilson, Nick Mancini, Kim Richmond, Hubert Laws, John Beasley, Jasper Blom, Mary Stallings, Paquito d’Rivera, Josh Nelson, Jesse van Ruller, Ben van Gelder, Greetje Kauffeld, Ack van Rooyen, Fay Claassen,  Benjamin Herman and many others. He worked with big bands such as the Bill Holman Big Band, Clare Fischer Big Band, Dave Slonaker Big Band, Mike Barone Big Band, Teryn Re Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Paradox Jazz Orchestra (NL), Orchestre de Jazz Luxembourg and the Millennium Jazz Orchestra.

Kevin started drumming at the age of 3 and went on to take lessons at age 5. He played in local orchestra’s, jazz bands and big bands in his home town of Oss, The Netherlands. He started studying at age 17 at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and studied with Martijn Vink, Marcel Serierse, Lucas van Merwijk and Gerhard Jeltes. Next to these teachers, he had lessons with John Riley, Obed Calvaire and Willie Jones III. He took part in numerous big band projects such as: the Festival Youth Jazz Orchestra feat. Ntjam Rosie, Jazz Focus Big Band, Concert Big Band feat. John Clayton etc.

He graduated in June 2014 from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with excellent results. Kevin is now residing in Los Angeles. He graduated his masters degree with departmental honors from the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California in 2017. He studied with Peter Erskine, Roy McCurdy, Ndugu Chancler and Aaron Serfaty. Other teachers were Russell Ferrante, Kathleen Grace and Bob Mintzer. He had private lessons with Jeff Hamilton and Joe LaBarbera. He was awarded with 4 scholarships from the Netherlands (Van den Foundation, Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds, Heijkonijn Foundation and VSB fonds) to study at USC and was on a full scholarship through a teaching assistantship position in his 2nd year of is graduate studies.

Kevin is currently on the jazz faculty of the Orange County High School for The Arts. He also holds a teaching position at John Muir Middle School and the Burbank High School.

Kevin is supported by Canopus Drums.

He plays in the following bands:

West Coast Jazz Hour Quintet and Big Band

VDE Big Band (LA)

Will Brahm Group (LA)

Nick Mancini Collective (LA)

Danny Jonokuchi Big Band (LA)

The LAHO Group (LA)

The Dutch Concert Big Band (NL)