The Best In British Jazz
Paul Wiltgen
Born in Luxembourg in 1982, Paul began playing cello at the age of six before moving on to classical percussion two years later. After an extensive classical tutelage at the Music Conservatory in Esch/Alzette (Luxembourg) and at various music workshops throughout the world, Paul began focusing more on playing drums, which sparked his interest in jazz. In 2001, he moved to New York City to study at the Manhattan School of Music on scholarship, where he completed both undergraduate and graduate studies, learning from the likes of John Riley, David Liebman, Phil Markowitz, Michael Abene, Garry Dial, Chris Rosenberg and Justin DiCioccio. In 2002, Paul won 2nd Prize in an international PAS competition for drumset in Paris. Now a regular presence on the New York jazz scene (appearing alongside such emerging stars as Patrick Cornelius, Luis Perdomo, Dave Binney, Aaron Goldberg, Pete Robbins, Walter Smith III and Donny McCaslin), Paul is making a name for himself as an accomplished jazz percussionist and forward-thinking composer. He also fronts his own rock/jazz crossover group, "The Paislies", which is about to release its debut album on the Fresh Sound New Talent record label.
