A musical centipede is without a doubt the best way to describe Belgian percussionist Koen Plaetinck.

After receiving his Master diploma from the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels, he continued his studies with Jan Pustjens and Gustavo Gimeno (orchestral percussion), Marinus Komst (timpani), and Keiko Abe at the toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo (marimba).

He has been a permanent member of the percussion section of the Rotterdam Philharmonic for 10 years and performs regularly as a guest with many other orchestras, including MusicAeterna, the Royal Concertgebouworchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Koen Plaetinck specialises in Historically Informed Performance practise on timpani in such orchestras as Anima Eterna Brugge, La petite Bande, B'Rock, Insula Orchestra, Correspondances, Orchestre des Champs Elysées, Il Gardellino and Concerto Köln.

He's appeared as a soloist with the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, Het Kamerorkest, Percussion Group Brussels, alongside Keiko Abe and alongside Wim Van Hasselt with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Koen has presented recitals for Bozar, Amuz, Opera City Tokyo, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Klarafestival, the Festival de Wallonie, the Bach Academy, the Percussion Festival Brussels and the Beat It! Festival in the Bruges Concertgebouw.

In 2019 he founded the duo ART'uur together with trumpet player Wim Van Hasselt. ART'uur's debut recording 'Imaginary Mirror' will be released by Channel Classics Records in the fall of 2020.