Frank Agsteribbe was born in Ghent in 1968. At the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp, he studied organ with Stanislas Deriemaeker and Joris Verdin from 1986 onwards, and harpsichord with Jos Van Immerseel. He also perfected his skills with Gustav Leonhardt, Davitt Moroney, and Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini.

Besides his intense activity in early music as a continuo player, he is also interested in contemporary music literature: he studied with Herman Sabbe (musicology, Ghent) and at the Antwerp Conservatory, he took courses in music history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with Boudewijn Buckinx, which were approached not only from a historical perspective, but also from a sociological and philosophical perspective. On Buckinx's advice, he took composition lessons with the American Frederic Rzewski in Liège between 1990 and 1994. It was during this period that Agsteribbe resolutely embraced a postmodern style of writing. Many works were commissioned by organizations such as Broederlijk Delen, Radio 3, Muziektheater Transparant, the Royal Youth Theatre, and the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp. He became more active as a conductor in 1994, conducting Baroque cantatas, 20th-century repertoire, and his own works. Agsteribbe studied orchestral conducting with David Angus from 2003 onwards and received a Dartington International Summer School Scholarship to participate in the orchestral conducting masterclass with Diego Masson in August 2004. As a harpsichordist/organist, he performs frequently with various orchestras and chamber music ensembles, including Duo Mosaic, The Wondrous Machine, The Great Charm, Il Fondamento, Huelgas Ensemble, Anima Eterna, and La Petite Bande. He gives concerts in various European countries and regularly collaborates on radio and CD recordings. Since 1989, Frank Agsteribbe has been affiliated with the Antwerp Conservatory, where he teaches analysis, AML theory, and chamber music. He also works as a staff member at the Orpheus Institute, as well as a freelance program maker, reviewer, and recording engineer. He has been a board member of the Association for Music Theory in Amsterdam since its founding in 1999, and from 1999 to 2003 was editor of the Journal for Music Theory, also in Amsterdam. In June 2002, he was selected as a participant at the Mannes Institute for Advanced Studies in Music Theory in New York, and in 2003 and 2004, he was artistic staff member responsible for the International Orpheus Academy for Music Theory in Ghent. (Matrix)

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.

Michel Béro was born in Mélin (Jodoigne) on April 26, 1950. At the Brussels Conservatory, he studied piano in the class of André Dumortier (Yvette Allard) (1969-1970). At the Université Libre de Bruxelles (1971-1975), he earned a bachelor's degree and a teaching qualification in Art History and Archaeology (musicology) for his thesis: 'Sigismond Thalberg, Aspects of Piano Virtuosity in the 19th Century' (Professor Robert Wangermée). He then studied musical composition and orchestration privately with Marcel Quinet (1981-1986).

Joining RTBF as a production assistant in 1973, he became a producer in 1981 and then head producer in 1995. Concurrently, he served as delegate to the International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO) from 1987 to 2009. He also taught music history from 1980 to 1984 at the Brussels Academy of Music and from 1980 to 1996 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels.

Michel Béro defines himself as a contemporary composer insofar as he feels an affinity with current Belgian composers. Fascinated by the relationship between music and mathematical formulas, his works are nevertheless not governed by rigid formulas.

Kortrijk, 1938; composer, honorary professor of composition at the University College of Ghent, Conservatory Department, and honorary director of the SAMW Peter Benoit in Harelbeke. He initially pursued secondary music studies at the SAMW in Harelbeke; he then continued his studies at the Royal Music Conservatory of Ghent, where he completed the instrumental department with a first prize in piano, an advanced diploma in viola and chamber music; he completed the theoretical department with a first prize in composition. At the start of his career, he was mainly active as a pianist and violist in various chamber music ensembles such as the Flemish Piano Quartet and the Belgian Chamber Orchestra.

From 1970 onwards, he gradually focused more on musical composition. As a composer, he has received several awards, including the Jef Van Hoof Prize (1974), the Tenuto Prize (1974), and the Koopal Prize for his chamber music oeuvre in 1989. In 1999, he was awarded the Visser-Neerlandia Prize for his complete oeuvre.

In pedagogy, he worked for 20 years as a teacher of piano, violin-viola, and ensemble playing at the music academies in Harelbeke and Izegem. From 1977, he was successively director of the SMC in Ostend and from 1979 to 1997 at SAMW in Harelbeke. At the Royal Music Conservatory in Ghent, he taught musical composition and conducted The New Conservatory Ensemble. As a composition teacher, he trained composers such as Lucien Posman, Octave Van Geert, Bernard Baert, Willy Soenen, Rudi Tas, Dirk Blockeel, and Mieke Van Haute. In 1997, he retired to devote himself entirely to composition. Since 1993, he has been a working member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium, Arts Division. In 2019, he was made an honorary member.

In his hometown of Harelbeke, he co-organized the Music Biennials, a biennial music festival that each time highlights an important musical figure from Flanders or Belgium, or a period in Belgian music history. From 2000 to 2012, he was also co-organizer, incentive, and chairman of the International Harmony Composition Competition Harelbeke Music City, which took place biennially, alternating with the Music Biennials.

After completing his Higher Secondary Arts Education, Alain Craens chose to study at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp, where he earned First Prizes in Composition (A. De Vleeshouwer Prize), Music Theory, Harmony (Paul Gilson Prize), Counterpoint, Fugue, Oboe, English Horn, and Chamber Music.

From 1978 to 1998, he taught oboe, chamber music, and harmony at the Municipal Music Conservatory of Leuven, the State Academy of Antwerp, and the Municipal Music Academy of Antwerp (Ekeren branch), where he served as acting director from 1993 to 1996.

He teaches music notation and arrangement and coordinates the AMV courses at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp, where he has also served as artistic director since 2001.

As a performing musician, he was the oboe soloist with the orchestra of the Flemish Chamber Opera and the Flemish Chamber Orchestra, and he gave concerts with various ensembles and orchestras at home and abroad.

Alain Craens earned the Paul Gilson Prize for Harmony and the A. De Vleeshouwer Prize upon graduation. He also received the same A. De Vleeshouwer Prize in May 1985 for his composition "Divertimento for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon." He also received the Cantabile Prize for piano composition twice, in 1989 and 1991.

Alain Craens has received various composition commissions, and his works have been premiered and performed by renowned musicians and ensembles. Many of his compositions are available on CD (e.g., with labels such as Arsis Classics, Phaedra, and De Haske) or recorded for radio.

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"

Kris De Baerdemacker studied composition at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent with Godfried-Willem Raes. He composed his first works for player piano, for which he devised several dozen studies. They were successfully performed at festivals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Lithuania, and elsewhere by the M&M ensemble of the Logos Foundation.

Later, he also began to focus on instrumental music and created several compositions for soloists and ensembles. The Nadar Ensemble, the Spectra Ensemble, the Collectief, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Ghent University Orchestra, Artis Dulcedo, the Kalès Guitar Quartet, and many others have performed his work. Kris De Baerdemacker's music has been performed at various venues, including the Ghent International Organ Festival (2003), De Nieuwe Reeks (2006), Klarafestival Dendermonde (2006), the Ghent Week of Contemporary Music (2007, 2008), and the Transit Festival (2008).

In 2006, his first orchestral work, "Blending," was selected for the Tactus Young Composers' Forum and awarded a laureate prize.

Several recordings of his works have since been released on CD.

Nicole De Paepe was born in Antwerp on July 11, 1958. Encouraged by the musical pursuits of her father, who played piano as a hobby, and her grandmother, who was an opera singer, she entered the music academy in Borgerhout at the age of eight, where she studied piano, cello, harmony, and chamber music. In 1974, she earned a distinction for piano at the Gunther Competition in Brussels and in 1977, she was awarded a government medal in Borgerhout. At the age of 14, she took the entrance exam at the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory in Antwerp, where she studied music theory, harmony, practical harmony, counterpoint, music analysis, music history, and art history. She specialized in piano and chamber music.

Passionate about music and guided by her intuition, she began composing at a young age. This continues to inspire her to this day.
For two years, she worked as a ballet accompanist. At 21, she became a
practical harmony teacher at the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory in
Antwerp, a position she held for 14 years. She retired to devote more time to raising her three children and to developing her career as a freelance pianist and composer.

As a pianist, she has accompanied various choirs, including
the Antwerp Philharmonic Choir (Philko), the Royal Mixed Choir Alma Musica, and the Don Bosco Choir in Hoboken. She is also regularly invited to accompany choirs such as the Sanseveria women's choir in Duffel, the Edegem Family Choir, and, in the past, our Schola Gregoriana, Camerata Vocale, and Cantabile from Hove, among others. She has also accompanied soloists at various concerts and competitions at home and abroad.

Nicole also plays the organ, and you can hear her perform Bach interpretations as well as her own works. She has also performed in various churches in Antwerp, including those of St. James, Charles Borromeo, Christ the King, Pius X Wilrijk, the Holy Family, and St. Joseph in Hoboken.

From 2002 to the present, Nicole De Paepe has also participated in various (art) projects, such as the Night of Museums, the Summer of Antwerp, the Channel exhibition, the Golden Derailment on July 11, 2002, in Brussels, and the Galerie Utrecht in the Netherlands. She has also collaborated with cultural centers and given various private concerts.

Her music has been featured several times on numerous radio stations,
including Marc Brillouet's Funiculi Funicula. Radio 2 presenter Els Broekmans has also interviewed her several times. Nicole is also actively involved in various concerts and accompaniments, including for German and Dutch television.

She has composed music for Antwerp legends and stories such as Brabo and Antigone, Lange Wapper, and Nello and Patrasche. In this final storytelling recital, she brings the story of A Dog of Flanders to life musically. Nicole sometimes collaborates with Milly Jennes, the driving force behind the puppet theatre Mirantibus, in this recital, acting out the story with her beautiful puppets.

Nicole previously recorded the CD Bagatelle in collaboration with violinist Marcel Andriesii.
She is working on new concerts with hornist Ernest Maes and cellist Viviane Abdelmalek, and new CDs featuring her compositions have been recorded.

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.

Born in Ath in 1954, Jean-Pierre Deleuze pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. In 1980, after winning a first prize in harmony in Jean-Marie Simonis's class, he turned to the study of composition, which he continued under Marcel Quinet for five years.

He also completed his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, winning a first prize in fugue in Jacques Leduc's class. His participation in a 1987 workshop on musical analysis led by Olivier Messiaen significantly influenced his aesthetic direction.

His musical language was initially influenced by the late works of Alexander Scriabin, leading him to seek a "harmonically colored" music.

In "Lethamorphos XXI" (based on a poem by Jacques Crickillon, 1996), the use of quarter tones constitutes an initial exploration of microtonal writing. From “Ellipsen” (trio for clarinet, violin and piano, 1998, a work for which the Royal Academy of Belgium awarded him the Irène Fuerison Prize), the use of untempered sounds is more precisely part of the deployment of a mode resulting from the alignment of harmonic sounds. In general, in his latest works, “his writing evolves towards a contemplative imagination, notably in “Espaces Oniriques”” [Christophe Pirenne in “Les musiques nouvelles en Wallonie et à Bruxelles”, ed. Mardaga]. The influence of the spectral aesthetics of Giacinto Scelsi and Tristan Murail and that of oriental conceptions is increasingly marked; This is particularly evident in "Four Haiku, Poetic Evocations for Organ" (premiered in Sapporo in 2004) and "Âlap" (2005), for bansuri, arpeggione, and guitar.

A professor of composition since 1989 and of advanced composition since 2002 at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, he has developed an original pedagogy based on the rational study of the syntax, techniques, and styles of great composers, from Renaissance and Baroque forms to the techniques of various 20th-century composers. He also taught musical analysis at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel during the 2001–2004 academic year. In January 2007, he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Belgium.

Renier Doutrelepont was born on November 26, 1939, in Malmedy.

His early musical training began with Octave Micha (Stavelot) for solfège and piano. Later, he studied harmony with Francis de Bourguignon. After de Bourguignon's death, Jean Absil took him on as a student of harmony, counterpoint, and composition.

He joined RTBF in 1966. He wrote scores for documentaries: "To Illustrate Magritte" (Christian Bussy), "The Memory of Stones" (Françoise Lempereur), and later for films: "Murders at Home" (Marc Lobet), "The Metamorphoses of Rachel" (Robert Lombaerts), etc.

He continues to compose (in atonal style): two concertos for piano and violin, chamber music for various ensembles (with guidance from Georges Octors), and lieder set to poems by Marcel Mariën, Louis Scutenaire, Charles Vanlerberghe, Andrée Sodenkamp, ​​and Jean-Claude Lalanne Cassou.

He has recorded six CDs of his works.

He currently lives in Brussels, is an administrator of the Union of Belgian Composers (UCB), and frequently participates in the Osmose Festival thanks to Danielle Baas.

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.

Vincent Ghadimi was born in Rocourt on September 14, 1968. It was only in 1986 that he began his musical studies at the Schaerbeek Academy, where he studied piano with Leonardo Anglani. At the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, he obtained first prizes in piano (Vanden Eynden) and chamber music, as well as a higher diploma in advanced solfège. At the Rotterdam Conservatory, in the class of Aquiles Delle-Vigne, he earned a Master of Music diploma in piano and chamber music, and also specialized in four-hand and two-piano performance with Nelson Delle-Vigne Fabri. He then studied with him for three years at the Alfred Cortot School of Music in Paris and also attended masterclasses with Lazar Berman, Zoltan Kocsis, Andrei Nikolsky, and others.

Vincent Ghadimi is also a recipient of two first prizes from international piano competitions (1993: Rotterdam "Doelen", 1995: Spain "Ibiza International Piano Competition"). His piano recitals in France, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain have earned him high praise from the music press.

In 2005, he founded Ensemble Polyface with harpist Cécile Marichal, which performs regularly in concert. Alongside his piano career, he has composed several works, including "Nutations" for clarinet and piano (published by Alain Van Kerckhoven and recorded by René Gailly), "Jongleurs de Têtes" for solo piano, written for the 2002 Orléans Competition and awarded an honorable mention in its second version at the 2006 TIM Competition, 10 songs for children (in Dutch) with voice and piano accompaniment (published by Lantro Music, www.lantromusic.be), "Mémoires d'enfance," and several Preludes for piano, also published by Lantro Music.

In 2005, he participated as composer, children's choir director, and conductor in the children's opera "Décamero lala" (performed at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels).

He also teaches piano and music theory and is an accompanist at the Dutch-speaking Academy of Brussels.

Walter Hus (born 1959) is not only a composer, but also a performing pianist and improviser. From the age of ten, he has performed as a concert pianist at home and abroad, and from 1979 onwards as a pianist-improviser.

Hus played with the free jazz formation The Belgian Piano Quartet and was affiliated with Maximalist!, a musical group founded in 1984 that straddled the intersection of pop, rock, classical, and avant-garde. The musician-composers who united in this movement (including Vermeersch, Sleichim, De Mey, and Hus) had met a year earlier during Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's first choreography (Rosas danst Rosas). Their image was strongly influenced by popular culture. Furthermore, interdisciplinarity was characteristic of the collective: a remarkably large percentage of the music Maximalist! composed was performed by the group. wrote, is conceptually connected to other arts such as dance, theater, and film.

The music of Maximalist! seems to be situated primarily within the framework of New Simplicity, which emerged from minimal music. A high degree of repetitiveness, microscopically varied rhythms and dynamics, the simple manipulation and transformation of motifs, a limited harmonic organization, and very limited starting material are its most important characteristics. This generally resulted in music with a high degree of consonance and direct accessibility.

When Maximalist! disbanded in 1989, Hus focused more on classical genres and from then on wrote operas, concertos, symphonic works, and string quartets, which were performed by the Arditti Quartet, among others. Yet, the functional and cross-disciplinary aspect that Hus developed at Maximalist! remains defining for his oeuvre, even after Maximalist!. In addition to music for fashion shows (e.g. Five to Five for Yamamoto (1984)), choreographies (e.g. Muurwerk (1985) and Hic et Nunc (1991) for Roxane Huilmand, and Devouring Muses (1997) for Irène Stamou) and films (The Pillow Book by Greenaway and Suite 16 by Deruddere), several of his compositions were created in collaboration with contemporary poets or playwrights, such as Stefan Hertmans (Francesco’s Paradox), Peter Verhelst (One Day They Appeared), Jan Decorte (Meneer, de zot en tkint) and Jan Lauwers of Needcompany (Orfeo).

In 1996, Walter Hus worked at Limelight in Kortrijk, where the festival and CD label Happy New Ears was founded at that time. Starting in 2000, Hus developed his own “Decap Orchestrion,” an installation with automated organ pipes and percussion instruments that can be controlled by computer. With this instrument he created soundscapes, film scores (e.g. N by Peter Krüger), rock songs, and arrangements of techno hits. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny used Hus' “Decap Orchestrion” for his “Orchestration Project.” Although Hus wanted to concentrate mainly on serious composition from 2015 onwards, the jazz pop group Hus & The Next Generation was founded in 2016. (Matrix)

Pianist-composer Marc Matthys (born 1956, Ghent) was drawn to music from a young age. As early as 1964, he won a European title at the CEA International Accordion Competition in Paris. After classical music training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in his native Ghent, where he was awarded the Higher Diploma in Piano and Chamber Music, as well as First Prizes in Counterpoint and Fugue, he established himself as an exceptionally versatile musician in diverse musical genres, including classical, jazz, and pop.

He has collaborated with figures such as Frédéric Devreese, Dirk Brossé, Rudolf Werthen, Walter Boeykens, Neeme Järvi, Aga Winska, Henry Raudales, Roby Lakatos, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels, Ali Ryerson, Paquito d’Rivera, Jo Lemaire, Leen Persijn, and Shirley Bassey.

To date, he has released some 30 CDs and two DVDs for various labels,
many of which feature his own compositions.

From 1986 to 2016, he was director of the Kortrijk City Conservatory and, since 1978, has taught at the Ghent University College, Royal Conservatory Department, where he founded the Jazz Department. He has received several awards, including the Grand Prix Humanitaire de France, and has been a laureate of competitions such as Tenuto '79 (VRT), the Joseph Van Roy Piano Competition (Ghent), the Klara Composition Competition, the Europ' Jazz Contest, and the Dunkirk Jazz Competition. He has performed in Europe, the USA, Russia, and China.

His quartet, featuring flutist Dirk De Caluwé and others, performed at the Royal Palace for the silver wedding anniversary of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola. He was also a solo composer at the World Expo in Shanghai and the NFA Convention in Las Vegas. Recordings of his compositions have been released with the VRO, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, the National Orchestra of Belgium, I Fiamminghi, L’Arco Musicale, Ensemble Walter Boeykens, Big Band Sound, Toots Thielemans, Jo Lemaire, cellist Viviane Spanoghe, pianist André De Groote, flutist Peter Verhoyen, Arco Baleno, the Kugoni Trio, and Convivium Musicum.

Marc Matthys was a visiting professor at Bowling Green State University (Ohio), a board member of Sabam (1995-1999), a founding board member and chairman of ComaV (the Flemish Composers' Association), a board member of UBC (Union of Belgian Composers), and has served on international juries since 1982, including the Europ' Jazz Contest, the International Clarinet Competition, and the Adolphe Sax Competition.

Marc Matthys is a Knight in the Order of Leopold and an Officer in the Order of the Crown.

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.

Jean-Marie Simonis was born on November 22, 1931.

After completing his classical studies in Greek and Latin, he entered the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, where he won numerous First Prizes, primarily in composition (harmony, counterpoint, fugue), as well as the Gevaert Prize.

A recipient of the Prix de Rome and numerous composition prizes, including the SABAM Prize in 1989 for his entire body of work, he won the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1975 and 1978 (the required piece for the second round) for his works “Evocations” and “Notturno,” both for piano.

His “Cantilène” for violin and orchestra was chosen as the required piece for the final round of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1985.

His work “Eclosions” won First Prize at the competition organized by the Belgian Guides Band in 1991 to celebrate the 60th birthday of King Baudouin and the 40th anniversary of his reign.

He is an honorary professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (harmony) and

at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel (harmony, counterpoint, and fugue).

Since 1985, he has been a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium. He served as director of the Fine Arts Section in 1997.

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).

Luc Van Hove (born 1957) received his musical training at the Royal Flemish
Music Conservatory in Antwerp. He studied composition with Willem Kersters, analysis with August Verbesselt, piano with Lode Backx, and
music history with Kamiel Cooremans. He later also took advanced courses in orchestral conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and composition and choreography at the University of Surrey in Guildford.

Luc Van Hove's list of achievements includes several composition prizes, including the Annie Rutzky Prize, the Sabam Belgian Artistic Promotion Prize, the Albert de Vleeshouwer Prize, and the Sabam Serious Music Prize 1993.

Luc Van Hove is a former extraordinary teacher at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and currently teaches composition at the Antwerp Conservatory and composition and analysis at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven. He is also a promoter and artistic advisor at the Orpheus Institute and a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts.

Luc Van Hove has commissioned works from numerous prominent organizers and performers. He has composed for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, the Flemish Radio Orchestra, the Brussels Philharmonic Society, the deSingel International Arts Centre, Antwerp '93 European Capital of Culture, I Fiamminghi, the Beethoven Academy, and Roel Dieltiens and his ensemble Explorations. He was also composer-in-residence at the Flanders International Festival, was appointed guest composer for the Week of Contemporary Music in Ghent, and was the featured composer for the I Fiamminghi in Campo festival in 1997.

Luc Van Hove's oeuvre includes works such as "Carnival on the Beach" for orchestra, opus 17, Symphony 1, opus 25, "Stacked Time" for electric guitar and orchestra, opus 26, Triptych for oboe and orchestra, opus 29, String Quartet,
opus 30, Piano Concerto, opus 32, "Strings," opus 33, Symphony 2, opus 34, "Kammerkonzert" for cello and ensemble, opus 36, Symphony 3, opus 39, and "Four Sacred Songs for Mixed Choir," opus 42.

Luc Van Hove enjoys great renown not only in Belgium but also abroad. His work has been performed at the Midem Festival in Cannes, during the promenade concerts at De Doelen in Rotterdam, and at the November Music festival.

Furthermore, renowned international ensembles and musicians regularly perform works by Luc Van Hove: the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet, the Arditti Quartet, the Xenakis Ensemble, and cellist Pieter Wispelwey.

See also: Peter Benoit Prize 2026 awarded to Luc Van Hove

Bart Verstraeten is a pianist, composer, and teacher. He studied piano, cello, organ, and music theory at the academy in his hometown and subsequently earned master's degrees in music theory and composition at the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory of Antwerp, studying with Luc Van Hove and Wim Henderickx, among others.

At the Ghent Conservatory, he studied piano with Johan Duijck, taking masterclasses with Jonathan Powell, Eliane Rodrigues, and Irene Russo.

Currently, he teaches piano and composition at the Wilrijk academy and performs as a pianist, both as a soloist and in collaboration with baritone Tristan Faes.
As a composer, he gained early recognition with works such as the piano trio Alla Zingarese and the Trio for flute, viola, and guitar, both awarded prizes in 2005. His music is lyrical and rhythmically driven, inspired by late nineteenth-century styles but with a contemporary perspective and a drive for innovation.

Verstraeten sees himself as a bridge-builder between tradition and modernity. His list of works includes piano works—among them, the collection All’Ungherese—as well as choral compositions and chamber music, with an international reputation for his mandolin cycle (Persephone, Demeter, Hades, Le vieux moulin).

His collaboration with conductor Peter Ickx, for whom he composed
several choral works, was particularly fruitful. He also wrote song cycles based on texts by Pablo Neruda, Rutger Kopland, Emile Verhaeren, and Charles Baudelaire.

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.