Rune De Groote (RDG) is a 20-year-old drummer based in Ghent, Belgium. He began his musical journey at the age of 10 under the mentorship of David Van Belleghem (Kenji Minogue) and Tom Peeters (Elias D’Hooghe Trio). At 14, he enrolled at MUDA, an art school in Evergem, where he studied with Matthias Standaert (Vive La Fête, Lady Linn & Manngold) and Wim De Vlaminck (Flanders Symphony Orchestra). Rune's passion for jazz was ignited at the Ghent Jazz Festival when he saw Stéphane Galland perform. This experience inspired him to study at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, where he currently learns from esteemed musicians, including Teun Verbruggen, Stéphane Galland, and Jan De Haas. He has also benefitted from lessons with Kyle Poole and Gregory Hutchinson, further enriching his musical development. In addition to his studies, Rune composes for his own jazz trio, RDG Trio, and collaborates as a sideman in various jazz ensembles, demonstrating his versatility and deep passion for music.