Jan Vanderwegen was born in 1963 in Mechelen, Belgium. He started his violin studies at the age of 9, was accepted to the Antwerp conservatory in 1981, and there received his first prize as a student of V.Lenaerts. At the Brussels conservatory he studied viola with Ervin Schiffer and also obtained a first prize for this instrument. He concluded his viola studies between 1993-1994 in New-York under Emannuel Vardi. In 1992 he became principal violist in the Nieuw Vlaams Symfonisch Orkest and remained there until 1994, the year he became principal violist in the Collegium Instrumentale Brugense. Jan Vanderwegen has participated in different chamber music ensembles such as SPECTRA (specialising in contemporary music), FUGA-in Paris, and many other trios, quartets, quintets etc. From 1994-1999 he participated in the Sewannee Summer Music Festival (U.S.A.) as a teacher, soloist and chamber music player.