Born in Belgium in 2005 into a family of musicians, Simon Comte was immersed in a rich and eclectic artistic environment from childhood.
Fascinated by the expressive power and infinite sound palette of the saxophone, he began his training at the age of seven.
His teachers quickly noticed his rare artistic sensitivity and precocious virtuosity, which led him to perform on stage from a very young age, both as a soloist and with prestigious ensembles.
At just 14 years old, Simon took a remarkable step forward by joining the class of French soloist and teacher Vincent David at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. The following year, he was also admitted to the conservatory's jazz department, becoming the youngest student ever to do so.
This dual training has nurtured a rich, masterful, and daring style.
In 2023, at the age of 18, a new chapter began when he was admitted to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, studying under highly acclaimed American saxophonist and educator, Jaleel Shaw. He is currently studying at the studio of renowned tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover.
That same year, he also won a music scholarship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation Inc. (BAEF) and received a merit scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music.
He now divides his musical life between the United States and Europe to continue developing his promising musical career, both with his Belgian quartet and his American quartet, as well as other "special projects."
His talent was quickly confirmed in competitions: 1st prize at the CeDel competition (Belgium, 2018), 1st prize at the Paris Saxophone Competition (2019), and in 2022 he won the Leuven Jazz Contest with his quartet. Then, in 2025, he won the DownBeat Student Award for best group with his trio in the United States, and the following year, in 2026, he won the DOWNBEAT Student Music Award for BEST JAZZ SOLOIST!
Simon Comte has performed on prestigious stages: Carnegie Hall (New York), Getxo International Jazz Festival, Gent Jazz Festival, Flagey (Brussels Jazz Festival), Bozar (Brussels), Dizzy's Jazz Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center – NYC), National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Ladbroke Hall (London), Südtirol Jazz Festival, Brosella Jazz Festival, Dinant Jazz Festival, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, WDR Funkhaus (Cologne), etc.
Throughout his young career, during concerts and jam sessions, he has already had the opportunity to play alongside renowned musicians on the international scene, including Gilad Hekselman, Jaleel Shaw, Ben Street, Joe Dyson, Kanoa Mendenhall, Nduduzo Makhatini, Hamilton de Holanda, WDR Big Band and many others…
The year 2025 marks a turning point: Simon Comte is invited by the prestigious WDR Big Band of Cologne (winner of several Grammy Awards) alongside German double bassist Nils Kugelmann to play as a soloist with them and perform several of his compositions commissioned especially for the occasion and arranged by Jakob Helling.
That same season, his trio with Kabelo Mokhatla (drums) and Chet Carlson (bass) won the 2025 DownBeat Student Award for Best Group. Simon also won two individual awards from the prestigious American jazz magazine: "Best Performance" and "Best Soloist."
This year (2026), Simon Comte won the prestigious 49th DOWNBEAT’S ANNUAL STUDENT MUSIC AWARD for BEST JAZZ SOLOIST!
He was also hailed by the renowned American jazz magazine “DownBeat” as one of the jazz soloists of the future!
A European tour is planned for 2026 with various projects (Austria, Germany, France, Romania, Ireland, etc.) as well as the recording of his first studio EP in New York with his American quartet.
Recognized as one of the most promising and captivating emerging voices in contemporary jazz, Simon Comte embodies a new generation of artists who are reinventing and perpetuating the language of jazz. Inspired by his travels between Europe and New York, he weaves intense and unique musical narratives, deeply rooted in today's artistic vibrations and dialogues.
