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Marc Grauwels is undoubtedly one of today’s most prominent Belgian flutists.
He owes this status, of course, to his talent, charisma, and dynamic, generous personality, but also to his innate gift for communication.
His eclectic approach as an international soloist has inspired around a hundred composers from around the world to write works specifically for him. Notably, Ennio Morricone dedicated the flute solos of his Cantata for Europe to him, and in 1985, Astor Piazzolla dedicated the famous Histoire du Tango to him.
Even before completing his musical studies in his home country, Marc Grauwels secured his first orchestral position at the Flanders Opera at the age of 19. At the same time, he continued his studies with mentors such as James Galway and Jean-Pierre Rampal. In 1976, he became principal piccolo at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels (Belgium’s National Opera), a position he left in 1978 to become principal flute of the Belgian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. He remained there for ten years, though he was also selected for the same role in 1986 when the renowned World Orchestra was formed under the baton of Carlo Maria Giulini. His career as a soloist subsequently took off at an impressive pace, leading him to leave orchestral work for good in 1987. Alongside his performing career, he taught for fifteen years as a lecturer at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and for twenty-five years as a full professor at the Royal Conservatory of Mons. In February 2001, following a tour of Asia, Naxos executives in Hong Kong decided to dedicate a special series within their catalog to him, titled “The Flute Collection.” Over the coming years, this collection will expand to include 30 CDs featuring flutist Marc Grauwels (20 Naxos CDs are already available worldwide).
Marc Grauwels also contributed to the soundtrack of Miloš Forman’s film Amadeus, performing—alongside Thomas Bloch and the ensemble Les Brussels Virtuosi—the magnificent Adagio for glass harmonica, flute, oboe, viola, and cello (K. 617).
He also performed the early sonatas, the quartets, and the Concerto for Flute and Harp for the complete Mozart edition released as a single 170-CD box set. This “Gold Record” set is currently enjoying unprecedented commercial success for Brilliant Classics, marking the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth (with over 100,000 copies already sold).
He serves as artistic director of the Classissimo Festival at the Théâtre du Parc in Brussels, the I Virtuosi di Waterloo chamber orchestra, and the Les Plaisirs d’Été festival in Mont-de-Marsan.
With at least 100 concerts worldwide each year, over 80,000 web pages dedicated to him, and a discography boasting more than 60 CDs as a soloist, Marc Grauwels demonstrates that a sound artistic strategy can lead a flutist to tremendous public success today.
In both his career and his performances, Marc Grauwels remains true to his own personality—which is by no means the least of his qualities.