Jan-Frederick Behrend was born in Hamburg in 1976. He completed his studies of percussion at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg with a distinction. As a founding member, composer, producer, and mallet soloist of the percussion ensemble Elbtonal Percussion, he is a regular performer at major festivals and on important concert stages (including the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, JazzBaltica, the Niedersächsische Musiktage, Musikfest Stuttgart, Oberstdorfer Musiksommer, Festival Mitte Europa, Musica Bayreuth, Bamberg Concert Hall, TROMP Eindhoven, EXPO 2010 Shanghai, Beijing Music Festival, Iwamizawa Art&Music Festival Japan). The ensemble has collaborated with various artists such as composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Matthias Pinscher and Helmut Lachenmann, the John Neumeier Ballet, drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police), percussionist Trilok Gurtu, designer Peter Schmidt, organist Claus Bantzer, trumpeter Matthias Höfs, marimba player Keiko Abe and the NDR Choir. The group also contributed to various film scores (The Baader Meinhof Complex/Bernd Eichinger, Cherry Blossoms/Doris Dörrie, Pandorum/Christian Alvert). To date, Elbtonal Percussion has released 8 solo CDs (arte nova-BMG / ACT / Dude Records), three DVDs, two children's music radio plays (EUROPA/Sony) and a songbook (Verlag Musiktotal) and has contributed to many other CDs and compilations.

In addition to his work with Elbtonal Percussion, Jan-Frederick Behrend is a regular guest musician with various orchestras (including the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Symphoniker Hamburg, The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen). As a member of the classical cabaret trio Bidla Buh, he received the prestigious Rheingau Music Prize in 2011 (awarded by the Rheingau Music Festival). In the 2017/2018 concert season, Jan-Frederick Behrend performed as marimba soloist with the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra Vorpommern. He was invited to perform as soloist at three concerts of the Bremer Philharmonic Orchestra in June 2019.

Jan-Frederick Behrend was a lecturer for “Solo-Percussion and Chamber Music” at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg from 2003 to 2006. As successor to Prof. Edith Salmen, he has been lecturer at the Rostock University of Music and Drama since October 2013, where he holds the percussion class and manages the university’s Percussion Ensemble together with Prof. Henrik M. Schmidt (DSO Berlin). In 2016 & 2017 Jan-Frederick Behrend took on the role of lecturer to lead the concert project 'Night of the Drums’ for the Orchestra Academy at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and since 2020 he has also held a teaching position for drums and marimba at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg. hmt Rostock awarded him an honorary professor in October 2022 in recognition of his services to music.