About

Toon Van Mierlo is a versatile artist with a deep passion for music and nature. As a child, he preferred wandering off the beaten path, searching for insects, hidden streams and unexpected discoveries. He has never lost that curious outlook. It led him not only to music, but also to science, earning him master's degrees in Biology and Anthropology. Music, on the other hand, is largely self-taught, driven by an enduring desire to create, experiment and perform.

For Toon, music and nature have never been separate worlds. He listens to the flight of cranes with the same sense of wonder as he does to a melody that unexpectedly emerges. This sensitivity and openness shape both his life and his music. And it is through collaboration with like-minded people that he most enjoys exploring and creating.

Collaboration has been a constant thread throughout his career. In projects such as Naragonia, Naragonia Quartet, Hot Griselda, Novar and Tal en Thee, and through collaborations with artists including Reineke Van Hooreweghe, Olle Geris, Maarten Decombel and Begijn Lebleu, he has found not only musical partners but also lasting friendships that continue to inspire and challenge him.

An important step in his artistic development came through Jochen Smets and Begijn Lebleu. Their trust, insight and encouragement inspired him to embrace the connection between music and nature not merely as a personal fascination, but as a genuine artistic direction. It is a path he intends to pursue even more fully in the years to come.

As a composer, Toon has written music for a wide variety of projects, ranging from contemporary folk music and polyphonic vocal works to theatrical and cinematic compositions. He composed most of the repertoire for Naragonia, Novar and Hot Griselda, has written the music for every Tal en Thee production for more than a decade, and has also contributed music to projects for WWF. Many of his compositions have found their way into the repertoires of musicians and ensembles across Europe and beyond, with several becoming modern folk standards. He has also appeared on more than forty albums.

Alongside performing and composing, Toon is a highly regarded teacher, regularly leading workshops and courses in Belgium and abroad. With Naragonia, he has built a strong international reputation within the folk scene, performing on renowned stages and forging inspiring connections far beyond Belgium's borders.

Looking ahead, Toon embraces new collaborations with an open mind. Like the unexpected discoveries waiting just beyond the forest path, he seeks projects in which music can serve as a catalyst to connect and celebrate the two worlds that inspire him most: music and nature.