Armin van Buuren
Who was Armin van Buuren?
Dutch trance DJ and producer who has been voted world's number one DJ five times and hosts the weekly radio show "A State of Trance."
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Armin van Buuren (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren was born on 25 December 1976 in Leiden, Netherlands. He attended Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden before going on to study law at Leiden University, eventually earning a law degree. Despite his academic background in law, van Buuren pursued a career in electronic music, becoming one of the most recognized figures in the global trance scene. He is married to Erika van Thiel, and the couple resides in the Netherlands.
Van Buuren first gained widespread attention through his dedication to trance music production and DJing during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2001, he launched A State of Trance (ASOT), a weekly radio show that would become one of the most widely distributed dance music programs in the world. The show is broadcast to nearly 40 million listeners across 84 countries on more than 100 FM radio stations, and it played a significant role in popularizing trance music internationally.
His achievements in the DJ world are extensive. Van Buuren has been ranked the number one DJ by DJ Magazine a record five times, including four consecutive years, a feat unmatched in the publication's history. In 2014, he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording for his single 'This Is What It Feels Like' featuring Trevor Guthrie, making him only the fourth trance artist ever to receive such a nomination. He also holds the record in the United States for the most entries on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, with twenty-one appearances.
Beyond radio and performance, van Buuren has released multiple studio albums and founded his own record label, Armada Music, which became one of the leading independent electronic music labels in the world. His productions have consistently charted in multiple countries, and his live performances have drawn hundreds of thousands of attendees at major festivals globally. In 2007, he received the Dutch Popprijs award and the Golden Harp, two of the Netherlands' most prestigious music honors. In 2011, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Dutch government in recognition of his contributions to music and Dutch cultural life. In 2019, he received an International Dance Music Award, adding to a long list of industry recognitions.
Before Fame
Growing up in Leiden, van Buuren developed an early interest in electronic music during his teenage years, a period when the rave and club culture of the early 1990s was rapidly spreading across Europe. He began DJing while still a student, honing his craft at local venues and experimenting with trance and electronic production at home. His passion for music ran alongside his formal education, and he balanced his studies at Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden and later at Leiden University with an increasingly serious commitment to DJing.
During the mid-to-late 1990s, trance music was experiencing a surge in popularity across Europe, with artists from the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom driving the genre forward. Van Buuren positioned himself within this growing scene, releasing early tracks and building a reputation as a skilled producer and live performer. His legal education, while ultimately secondary to his music career, gave him a distinctive background among his peers and likely informed his later business ventures in the music industry.
Key Achievements
- Ranked number one DJ in the world by DJ Magazine five times, including four consecutive years
- Host of A State of Trance since 2001, reaching nearly 40 million listeners across 84 countries
- Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording in 2014 for 'This Is What It Feels Like'
- Recipient of the Dutch Popprijs and Golden Harp awards in 2007
- Appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Dutch government in 2011
Did You Know?
- 01.Van Buuren holds a law degree from Leiden University, making him one of the few globally renowned DJs with a formal legal education.
- 02.His weekly radio show A State of Trance reached its 1000th episode milestone, celebrated with a globally broadcast special event.
- 03.He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014, becoming only the fourth trance artist in history to receive a nomination in that category.
- 04.Van Buuren has recorded twenty-one entries on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the United States, more than any other artist in that chart's history.
- 05.He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2011, one of the Netherlands' highest civilian honors, awarded by the Dutch royal house.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Harp | — | — |
| Popprijs | 2007 | — |
| International Dance Music Awards | 2019 | — |
| Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | 2011 | — |