Bio:
Stephan Schöpe was born in 1986 in Frechen (near Cologne), Germany and started playing piano at the age of eight. Six years later he began to play the drums, which always tempted him more than the piano. During his time at school he formed several bands that ranged from rock to jazz, and also played in an orchestra. After graduating, he applied at the Conservatorium Maastricht in the Netherlands and has been studying jazz & pop there since 2007. In addition to his main teachers Ron van Stratum and Arnoud Gerritse, he has attended several workshops and masterclasses with Simon Phillips, Dave Weckl, and other acclaimed artists. Over the last years, Stephan has performed in styles such as jazz, rock, pop, theater and reggae all over Germany including the Frankfurt Musikmesse in 2008 and 2009. His current bands are Ter`Azur (progressive rock), Ras Dwa Trio (fusion/rock), Mother's Pearls (Grunge/Rock), Supernova Jazz Eruption (Jazz/Fusion), Awake - a Tribute to Dream Theater (progressive rock) and the William-Blake-Project (jazz/pop/rock). He has also made guest appearances with Jancee Pornick Casino, Andy Borg, and Tippaman. In 2006 Stephan started giving private drum lessons, and has been teaching drums at a public music school since 2008. Aside from his passion for drumming, Stephan has been developing his engineering skills and has built his own studio. He has worked as a live recording engineer for T.M. Stevens and Wolf Simon's Funk Alliance. He is currently producing Ter'Azur's debut album, which will be released in 2011.