Dutch trumpet player Eric Vloeimans (1963) is regarded as one of Europe's best performers with an extraordinary talent for playing original music with outstanding quality. Vloeimans prefers recording original compositions on his many award winning cd's, however he can often be heard performing a wide variety of tunes. As a composer he does not feel restricted to one particular style, and he has managed to create an evocative, harmonic language of his own. His writing is fresh and creative, yet not without feeling and respect for tradition. Eric Vloeimans is unique among many of Holland's top international jazz artists in that he does not shy away from playing beautifully. He is a rare musician that has mastered the complete range of the trumpet, from the energy laden high notes to the soft, velvety, almost wooden sounds. The talent and the expressive power of Eric Vloeimans' music have been honoured by his winning the Dutch Edison Award four times, the Elly Ameling Prize of the City of Rotterdam, the Boy Edgar Award and the prestigious Bird Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Eric Vloeimans has been active in a wide variety of ensembles all over the years. The two ensembles that he works with now are The Eric Vloeimans Trio 'Fugimundi', with the surprising Anton Goudsmit on guitar and rising star Harmen Fraanje on piano. This trio performs acoustic (jazz) chamber music. Their broad repertoire ranges from contemporary jazz, hymns, world music to occasional standards, all of which is presented with warmth and wit. His other band is Eric Vloeimans' Gatecrash, which features soundscape master Jeroen van Vliet on Fender Rhodes and keyboards, the inventive Gulli Gudmundsson on bass, electric basses and effects, and the up and coming Jasper van Hulten on drums. Vloeimans expands his trumpet mastery with electronics special effects. Gatecrash has earned a reputation as one of Europe's top cross-over bands between jazz and pop. The music ranges from lazy lounge music to hard core uptempo beats and spaced out moods, with Zappa-influenced odd meters. It's a band that sweeps the audience away. Vloeimans' performances and recordings with a multitude of other formations has shown his versatility. His musical talent, easy-going attitude and great sense of humour have brought him to play with national and international artists such as Mercer Ellington, John Taylor, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Jasper van 't Hof, Han Bennink, Furio di Castri, Charlie Mariano, Nguyên Lê, Jimmy Haslip, Jarmo Savolainen, Philippe Catherine, Joey Baron, Lars Danielsson, Michael Moore and many, many others. His musical collaborations have taken Eric Vloeimans abroad many times. With diverse artists and ensembles he played all over Europe, Indonesia, China, the Middle East, South Africa and Japan. Experiences from his travels influence his music constantly and can be heard in many of his compositions. Eric Vloeimans plays from the heart and has shown a remarkable power to create bridges and reach the hearts of audiences all over the world. In October 2008 he will be making his US debut tour with his trio 'Fugimundi'- Anton Goudsmit on guitar, Harmen Fraanje on piano, and Eric Vloeimans of course, on trumpet.