Month: February 2026 (Page 2 of 3)

Jacqueline Fontyn

23 February 2026 /

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Jacqueline Fontyn was born in Antwerp on December 27, 1930.

Recognizing her early musical talent, her parents entrusted her, shortly after her fifth birthday, to the Russian pedagogue Ignace Bolotine, who gave her daily piano lessons, encouraged her love of improvisation, and of whom she retained wonderful memories.

At 14, she decided to become a composer. After studying music theory with Marcel Quinet, she went to Paris where Max Deutsch introduced her to the world of Schoenberg and initiated her into twelve-tone technique, a language she would use until 1979 – but always in a flexible and very free manner.

In 1956, she also attended Hans Swarowsky’s conducting class at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

From 1963, she taught music theory at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp; in 1970, she was appointed professor of composition at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, a position she held until 1990, while also accepting numerous invitations from universities and conservatories, notably in Europe (Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland), the United States (from New York to San Francisco), the Middle East, Asia (China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan), and New Zealand. Her catalogue of works comprises more than 100 pieces: orchestral, vocal, instrumental, and chamber music, which is performed worldwide and featured in the programs of prestigious orchestras and festivals.

Among the many distinctions bestowed upon her are the Oscar Espla Prize in Spain and the Arthur Honegger Prize from the Fondation de France, the commission of the Violin Concerto required for the finals of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in 1976, and two commissions from the Koussevitzky Foundation at the Library of Congress in Washington.

A member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, Jacqueline Fontyn was granted the title of Baroness by the King in 1993 in recognition of her artistic merits.

A taste for rich harmonic textures, a supple rhythm, and a constantly renewed interest in exploring instrumental resources are all elements of an ever-evolving musical language, whose expressive and poetic dimensions appeal to the listener’s sensitivity and curiosity.

Boudewijn Buckinx

23 February 2026 /

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Boudewijn Buckinx was born in Lommel in 1945. He studied at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp and at IPEM in Ghent. He studied composition with Lucien Goethals. In 1968, he studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Kompositionstudio in Darmstadt, where he collaborated on the project “Musik für ein Haus.” Buckinx was deeply impressed by Mauricio Kagel and John Cage. In 1972, he wrote his thesis in musicology at the University of Leuven on Cage’s Variations.

From 1966 to 1974, Buckinx gave concerts with the WHAM (Working Group for Contemporary and Current Music). WHAM’s aim was to attract specialists from other disciplines, such as philosophers and painters. Amateurs involved in the musical process were also included in WHAM. Besides Cage, the WHAM working group also focused on composers such as Christian Wolff and Cornelius Cardew. The working group’s last concert took place in 1974 with Buckinx’s composition Sinfonia a quattro velocipedi. This was followed by a five-year period during which Buckinx composed but not performed any of his works.

In 1988, Buckinx was the Belgian guest at the second “Week of Contemporary Music” in Ghent. In June 1991, a concert as a composer portrait was given in Kiel, Germany. Similar Buckinx concerts also took place at the Espace Delvaux in Brussels and the Club Mineral in Ghent. In 1988, his series 1001 Sonatas was performed in its entirety in Darmstadt. For “Antwerp ’93, European Capital of Culture,” Buckinx’s Nine Unfinished Symphonies were premiered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders. In 1993, a nine-day Buckinx festival was held at De Rode Pomp in Ghent. Buckinx’s music was also performed at the Tampere Biennale in Finland and the North American New Music Festival in Buffalo. In 1998, he was involved with the composers Gerard Ammerlaan and Jacob ter Veldhuis in the opera project Van alle tijd – van alle streken (Of all times – of all regions). In 2002, his fifth opera, Dhammapada, was performed at De Rode Pomp in Ghent. Between 2010 and 2012, several of Buckinx’s works were premiered during the Voorwaarts Maart Festival at De Bijloke.

From 1968 to 1978, Buckinx taught at the Provincial Higher Institute for Art Education in Hasselt. In 1978, he became a producer at the BRTN, a position he held until March 2000. From 1981, he taught music history at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp. In 1991-92 he temporarily replaced Frederik Rzewski as composition teacher at the Liège Conservatory.

Patrick Dheur

23 February 2026 /

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Patrick Dheur is one of the world’s most renowned Belgian pianists. He explores his creativity through the many facets of musical art.

His career as a concert pianist began after completing his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Liège (Belgium), his hometown. He has won numerous international competitions and awards, including first prize at the Szymanowski Competition.

The United States played a significant role in his early career. Selected by Leon Fleisher to attend the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, he spent considerable time there, giving numerous concerts, including a remarkable recital debut at Lincoln Center in New York City.

He is an internationally renowned soloist with numerous orchestras (the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists with Yuri Bashmet, the Belgian National Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestras of Liège, Grenoble, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, and Caraca, the Springfield Symphony, the Norfolk Symphony, the G. Enescu Orchestra of Bucharest, the Wiener Sinfonietta, the Camerata de Lausanne with Pierre Amoyal, and the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, among others).

His discography is growing, and his catalog includes more than twenty CDs.

He is regularly invited to serve as a juror at major international competitions. He is the curator of the Grétry Museum in Liège.

Patrick Dheur is known for his commitment to the musical culture of the city of Liège. His complete piano works by César Franck (3 CDs) are a prime example. He is also dedicated to promoting the masterpieces of Liège composers. Appointed by the As a member of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation of Belgium, and commissioned to oversee the bicentennial commemorations of composer André-Modeste Grétry’s death, he discovered the unpublished and unperformed original manuscript of the opera “L’Officier de la Fortune” (The Officer of Fortune), dating from 1770. He then undertook the study and adaptation, enabling its premiere by the Royal Opera of Liège.

Patrick Dheur is also a talented and published composer and writer.
His output as a composer includes some thirty works (symphonic piano pieces, chamber music, concertos, cantatas, songs, etc.).
Patrick Dheur’s literary work, “La musique au bout des doigts” (Music at Your Fingertips), published by Luc Pire, was recently translated into Chinese to support his Asian tours. His 2016 season took him to Italy, Norway, France, and the United States, culminating in a concert at Carnegie Hall. New York, November 16.

Marc-Henri Cykiert

23 February 2026 /

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Né à Liège en 1957, Marc-Henri Cykiert a commencé à jouer la guitare à treize ans, a étudié la musique électronique au Centre de Recherches Musicales de Wallonie avec Frederic Nyst et la musique brésilienne avec José Barrense-Dias.

En 1979, il suit les cours du GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology) à Los Angeles.
De 1980 à 1986, de retour en Belgique, il étudie la composition et l’orchestration avec le compositeur américain Frederic Rzewski et Philippe Boesmans au Conservatoire de Liège.

Il a écrit pour plusieurs musiciens et ensembles, notamment: Michael Guttman, Frederic Rzewski, Suzanna Klintcharova, Steve Houben & Strings, Arriaga String Quartet, Costas Cotsiolis, José Barrense-Dias, Cecile Broche, Luc Tooten, Weber Iago, Camerata Romeu String Orchestra, Katerina Verbovskaya, Bobby Mitchell.

Avec Frederic Rzewski et Michaël Guttman, il a enregistré un CD de ses compositions pour violon et piano ‘Capriccio Hassidico’. Deux autres CD pour piano solo : ‘2 for Peace’ avec Weber Iago, et ‘Katerina Verbovskaya plays Marc-Henri Cykiert’.

Ses compositions ont été jouées en Belgique, France, Hollande, Allemagne, Danemark, U.S.A., Cuba et Chine.

Il parle ici de sa composition “A Marc CHAGALL“

J’ai écrit cette composition peu de temps après la mort du peintre, en 1985, à la mémoire de Marc CHAGALL, que j’aimais beaucoup. J’ai toujours admiré les artistes, les poètes et les philosophes qui arrivent à exprimer des émotions, des idées, des concepts complexes en utilisant un langage simple, à la portée de tous.

Comme Chagall avec ses personnages nostalgiques et colorés qui semblent flotter dans l’espace, j’ai créé un ensemble de petites scènes mélodiques, tonales mais sans la grammaire de la tonalité, issues d’un folklore imaginaire, avec une influence de la musique juive et russe. C’est la couleur du fond qui lie le tout , dans une spirale étiolée de souvenirs de personnages fantastiques et de vécu, avec en filigrane son poème:

« Seul est le mien le pays qui se trouve dans mon âme. J’y entre sans passeport ».

David Baltuch

23 February 2026 /

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After studying at a Brussels music academy, David Baltuch continued his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he earned First Prizes in solfège, piano, chamber music, written harmony, counterpoint, fugue, and conducting, as well as Advanced Diplomas in solfège (specialization) and chamber music.

He then pursued further studies in Paris (École Normale Alfred Cortot), where he obtained a diploma in conducting. Finally, David Baltuch completed a doctorate at Birmingham City University on the phenomenon of conducting.

Sarah Wéry

23 February 2026 /

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Sarah Wéry began her musical journey through the cello and improvisation. At 18, she went to Germany to study with composer Hubert Bergmann for a few months, and it was then that she decided to dedicate herself fully to music.

She then studied in Liège, in Michel Fourgon’s composition class, where she began to develop her own musical language by exploring questions such as: How to make the most heterogeneous elements coexist, or how to create a sense of explosion while maintaining fluidity and speaking directly to the listener. She then began to use the twelve-tone system as both a macro and micro structure.

Johan Sluys

23 February 2026 /

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Johan Sluys holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Philology from KU Leuven, a First Prize in Piano and Chamber Music, a Master’s degree in Composition from CRBruxelles, and a Master’s degree in Composition from CRMons (Cl. Ledoux).
His works have earned him the Composition Prize of the Province of Flemish Brabant (2002) and the Jef Van Hoof Triennial Composition Competition (2016).

Raoul de Smet

22 February 2026 /

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Raoul De Smet werd geboren op 27 oktober 1936 in Borgerhout.

Hij studeerde Romaanse filologie en muziekgeschiedenis aan de Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven. Hierna volgde hij een specialisatiejaar als beursstudent in Madrid en Salamanca. Vier jaar was hij werkzaam in Tunesië als lesgever; hij doceerde tot 1996 Spaans aan de Katholieke Vlaamse Hogeschool te Antwerpen.

Zijn muzikale basisopleiding (solfège, harmonie, piano) genoot hij aan de
Muziekacademie van Deurne. Afgezien van deze opleiding was hij als musicus autodidact, tot hij vanaf 1966 compositie ging studeren bij Lucien Goethals en Louis De Meester aan het IPEM te Gent, bij August Verbesselt te Antwerpen en bij Ton de Leeuw te Amsterdam.


Door zelfstudie van theoretische werken (Schönberg, Krenek, Koechlin, Messiaen, e.a.) en van partituren, en door het beluisteren van allerlei genres heeft hij een persoonlijke taal ontwikkeld.


In 1972 nam De Smet deel aan de Ferienkurse für Neue Musik te Darmstadt, waar twee van zijn werken werden uitgevoerd. Hij woonde tevens de Gaudeamus-dagen bij in Bilthoven.

In 1976 nam hij deel aan het American Seminar te Salzburg over Contemporary American Music.

In 1977 vertegenwoordigde hij het IPEM op het Colloquium Musica/Sintesi in het
kader van de Biënnale van Venetië.


Van 1974 tot 1994 organiseerde Raoul De Smet te Antwerpen de Orphische Avonden, concerten voor eigentijdse (vooral Vlaamse) kamermuziek te Antwerpen.

Tussen 1980 en 1984 was hij lid van de Raad van Bestuur van het Centrum voor Muziek te Leuven.

Tussen 1983 en 1993 programmeerde De Smet concerten van eigentijdse kamermuziek in de Foyer van de Stadsschouwburg (Antwerpen).

In 1976, 1985 en 1990 organiseerde hij Elektronische Muziekdagen in het ICC en deSingel.

In 1981 startte hij de E.M.-reeks, een uitgave in facsimile van kamermuziek van Vlaamse componisten.

In 1987 stichtte hij de OrpheusPrijs, een Tweejaarlijks Internationaal Concours voor de interpretatie van eigentijdse kamermuziek.

Sinds 1999 organiseert hij het “Belgian Chocolates” festival.

Pieter Schuermans

22 February 2026 /

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Componist Pieter Schuermans leerde het métier bij Luc Van Hove bij wie hij in 1995 een eerste prijs compositie behaalde aan het Lemmensinstituut.

Hij schreef talloze composities voor de meest uiteenlopende bezettingen, vaak in opdracht van vrienden musici of ensembles. In de zomer van 1998 werd hij wereldwijd geselecteerd voor de vermaarde cursus van Creative Dance Artists Trust in Wakefield in Groot-Brittannië, een cursus waarin het interactief samenwerken tussen acht choreografen en acht componisten tot het uiterste gedreven wordt.

Met zijn werk “Per Flauto e Chitarra” won hij in 2000 de Prijs van de Provincie VlaamsBrabant.
Pieter Schuermans behaalde ook eerste prijzen dwarsfluit, contrabas en kamermuziek aan het Lemmensinstituut. Van 2000 tot 2003 was hij als contrabassist vast verbonden aan het Collegium Instrumentale Brugense.
Als fluitist musiceert hij voornamelijk in kamermuziek-verband.

Hij is docent schriftuur aan het Lemmensinstituut alsook leraar dwarsfluit, contrabas en instrumentaal ensemble aan de muziekacademie van Tessenderlo.
Reeds lang verdiept hij zich in de interactie tussen muziek en beweging. Dit resulteerde o.a. in het werk “Compositie voor Blokfluitenkwartet, Percussie en Jongleur” dat hij samen met zijn broer en jongleur, Toon Schuermans, maakte. De broers ontvingen hiervoor de Tech-Art prijs 2001.

In de schoot van het Orpheus Instituut maakte hij een scriptie over artistieke interactie en de eindvoorstelling “Looking Through Eardrums”. Deze voorstelling, die in nauw samenwerkingsverband tot stand kwam met France Perpête, dans en choregrafie, met opnieuw zijn broer en hemzelf, toerde door België en was te zien op de buitenlandse podia.

Pieter Schuermans richtte hiervoor zijn eigen ensemble op: eaRis company.

Wilfried Westerlinck

21 February 2026 /

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Wilfried Westerlinck was born in Leuven on October 3, 1945.

At the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, he studied oboe with Louis Van Deyck and harmony with Victor Legley.

Concurrently, he took courses in orchestral conducting (with Daniel Sternefeld) and musical analysis and structure (with August Verbesselt) at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Antwerp.

From 1970 to 1983, he taught musical analysis at this institution.

Westerlinck also took a course in orchestral conducting with Igor Markevits in Monte Carlo.

Since 1968, he has worked primarily at VRT (the Flemish Radio and Television Broadcasting Company), where in early 2001 he was appointed
Head of Production and Performance of Chamber and Orchestral Music.

In the 1990s, he played instrumental music in media events such as Radio 3’s ‘La Nui’ (The Night of the Unknown) and ‘Radio 3 dans la Ville’. He then participated in various organizations, notably ‘de Belgische klassieke muziekwereld’.

Some of his compositions have won awards: Metamorfose (Tenuto Prize, 1972), Landschappen I (Province of Antwerp Prize, 1977). In 1985, Westerlinck was awarded the Jef Van Hoof Prize for a song cycle set to texts by Bertus Aafjes and the Eugène Baie Prize for his entire body of work.

In 2004, he was composer-in-residence at the Gdańsk Academy of Music.

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