Adil Benhsain discovered his musical passion at Moroccan wedding celebrations, where he spontaneously started playing music. However, he soon realized the necessity of formal music lessons. Today, he is a versatile musician skilled in playing the derbouka, oud, and viola. His admiration ...
Producer Jolan Decaestecker is primarily known as a guitarist or sound engineer with bands such as Ão, Mooneye, and Spëcht. As a solo artist, he showcases his affinity for experimental ambient music and soundscapes with his project "Empty Apartments." Jolan doesn't shy ...
Amina Osmanu a.k.a. Amos is one half of the duo A/T/O/S (A Taste Of Struggle), completed by Truenoys. The duo released their third album, Waterman, in 2020.De Morgen:‘They say I cry too much and I know too little,’ croons Amina Osmanu a.k.a. Amos on the third album released ...
Keyboardist Anthony Romaniuk’s singular artistic voice stems from his relentless exploration of a vast range of musical styles. A natural musical polyglot, his classical training is complemented by his improvising prowess, allowing him to traverse the borders between genres ...
In 2018, Alan Van Rompuy graduated with high distinction from the Conservatory of Antwerp as Master In Arts, majoring in jazz piano with the solo project Azertyklavierwerke. The grand piano was accompanied by midi instruments straight from Ableton. That same year, he released two ...
B.O.X is a hybrid baroque band based in Antwerp, Belgium. Their goal is to create genre-bending new sounds, and to build bridges between audiences. Founded in 2010 by lute and theorbo player Pieter Theuns, B.O.X gathers some of today's finest players of baroque instruments, such ...
Ben Bertrand is a Belgian bass clarinetist and composer. With his instrument and countless machines, Ben creates his live performances with a hypnotic web of sounds. Listening to his music is like sitting at the sea, watching a slow motion of our crazy life sailing by. With his former ...
Bert Cools starts playing guitar at the age of 7. Very soon, he develops both the acoustic and the electronic side of music. He completes his master's degree in jazz guitar at the Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, where he takes lessons with Hein Van de Gein, Ed Verhoef and Hariprasad ...
Bryce David Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American composer and guitarist based in Paris, also known as a member of the rock band the National. Dessner's twin brother Aaron is also a member of the group. Together they write the music, in collaboration with lead singer/ lyricist ...
CASCO PHIL is a collective that was founded in 2008 as the 'Belgian Chamber Philharmonic'. They have performed at numerous venues in Belgium and abroad, including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, BOZAR and the Concertgebouw Bruges. The artistic direction and baton are in the hands of ...
Dominique De Groen (b. 1991) is a poet and an artist. Her debut album Shop Girl, published in 2017 by het balanseer, was nominated for the Poëziedebuutprijs Aan Zee and the LZWL-trofee by VRT. Her work has been published in nY, Odiseo, Deus Ex Machina, Samplekanon and De Internet ...
Born in 1987, finishing his studies in Jazz at the Royal Conservatory for Fine Arts in Antwerp at 2011, Dries Laheye is a musician bound to no genres. Improvisation has always been a key element in the many projects in which he continues to be an active composer and performer. At ...
Elisabeth Klinck (born 1995) is a violinist, composer and performer based in Brussels. With a background in classical music, electroacoustic composition, improvisation and theatre she navigates through fragile musical landscapes using tactile sound textures and atmospheric ...
After graduating from Conservatories in 1999 Frederik Croene developed a handful trajectories in which he reflects on the ever changing and multi-layered identities of the classical pianist. As the Gestalt of his instrument is grounded in 19th century romanticism, he still uses ...
No one can do what IKRAAAN does. She discovered her passion for music as a teen by listening to artists like Tupac – a passion she combined with her love of the Dutch language. In just one year she developed her distinct, dreamy style that instantly transports you to a world ...
Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and World Music Department of Rotterdam Conservatory. Together with musicians from different countries she formed a band Merope, which toured in Europe, India, China and Mexico and recorded three albums ...
Who are we? Who are we as an artist? Who are we as a person? It is probably one of the most essential questions we can ask ourselves. But I consider answering this question a process. A process that is taking us a step forward every day. However important this question may be to ...
Lore Binon obtained a master’s degree in violin in 2008 at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, under Yuzuko Horigome. Her passion for singing gradually took over and she earned a bachelor’s degree in singing from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, under Beatrijs De Vos ...
Rotterdam-born singer-songwriter Tessa Douwstra aka Luwten found her way to the bigger stages in the Netherlands with impeccably crafted, moving songs on the intersection of pop, indie, electronica and R&B. Her latest album Draft (2021) received national praise and won a 3voor12 ...
Manchester Collective is a contemporary music company making a name for itself with its revolutionary approach: (post-)modernism and avant-garde in unusual places, wrapped up in flashy concert outfits. Known for their experimental programming and bold collaborations, Manchester ...
Mattias De Craene (born 1989, Ghent) is a Belgian saxophonist & composer. He is a member of Nordmann and MDCIII. Since 2020, De Craene has focused more on solo work. He produces his own music, to concept depart the sounds from the sax, evoking cinematic atmospheres. He builds ...
Milan W. has been linked to great labels like BAKK (Legowelt, SFV Acid) and Ekster (Hiele, DMX Crew, Ssaliva). He started as a young guitar hero with bands like Mittland och Leo, Flying Horseman, Blackie & The Oohoos and Condor Gruppe. Eventually, he evolved into the punishing ...
Nabou Claerhout (°1993, Antwerp) took a brave and unusual leap to learn to play the trombone at the age of 9. Nobody could have imagined then that, years later, she would land in the middle of the contemporary jazz scene. Today, Nabou is one of the most promising and innovative ...
Oriana Ikomo is the project of Oriana Mangala (23), a Brussels-based Musician/Performer. After searching for her own sound in various projects and studying at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, she recently started making music under the name Oriana Ikomo. Her inspiration comes from ...
Baritone saxophonist Stien Carlier graduated from the Maastricht Academy of Music and was immediately allowed to go on tour with the wind section of the immensely popular Dutch band Slagerij van Kampen. She also plays with various bands such as Muze Jazz Orchestra and Bruna. In 2016 ...
Composer and producer VALGEIR SIRGURÐSSON is known for his immersive sound-world, often blurring the lines between contemporary classical writing and electronic production. An explorer of implicit sound, he composes for film, visual media and stage, as well as being active as ...
ZONDERWERK creates soundtracks for paintings, graphic novels, architecture, installations and other visual work. The addition of music and sound design to the work of art creates a new dimension and amplifies the experience of the beholder. It’s an extra layer, an alternative ...
Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe (°1995 in Eine) is a self-made countertenor, opera director and performer. He wants to rewrite the rules of opera, and 'liberate classical music, because it should belong to everyone'. Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe studied performance at the Theatre Academy ...
Benjamin: I don't mind switching from Bach's cello Suites or together with the Belgian National Orchestra to a concert with rapper Zwangere Guy. In addition to being a cellist I am a composer to a lesser extent, and a conductor and educator to an even lesser extent. I mainly mean ...
Bram's relentless search for unknown territory and new destinations began in 2007 with his first album Tonelist, followed by 12 other albums (5 releases on Challenge Records). At 18 he was selected for the prestigious Young VIP tour. At the age of 26, he was the youngest composer ...
From its home port of Bruges, string orchestra BRYGGEN boldly sets course for the North, along the routes of the Hanseatic League, all the way to Scandinavia and the Baltic. In search of new sounds and connection to the wide world around. With united/unified forces, now moving ...
Carlo Nardozza (1982) is the youngest son of two from a warm Italian family in Genk (Belgium). Since the age of seven Carlo has been fascinated by the trumpet and took his first steps in music inspired by his musical father. He graduated cum laude for trumpet at Conservatorium ...
Charlotte Schoeters was born in Wilrijk (Belgium). She first became acquainted with singing as a Scaldis Cantat choir member. Very soon she did several productions home and abroad with Music Theatre Transparant. For two years Charlotte studied with soprano Anne Cambier before obtaining ...
The American soprano Claron McFadden studied voice at the Eastman School of music, and received her bachelor’s degree with distinction in 1984. In the same year she moved to the Netherlands, where she currently resides, and has proven herself to be one of the most versatile ...
Dick van der Harst (1959) is a composer, arranger and musician whose work blends many influences such as jazz, classical and folk music from all corners of the world. From 1989-2013, he was 'composer in residence' at LOD Muziektheater in Ghent. He created music theatre productions ...
Ekaterina Levental was born in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, one of the republics of the former Soviet Union. Ekaterina moved to Holland in 1993 where she continued her studies on the harp at the Conservatories in Enschede, Rotterdam and Detmold (Germany) with teachers ...
Fanny Alofs is a vocalist with a wide span of musical abilities. She is a skilful improviser, articulate in many languages, using her great range and lithe voice in various fields of music, with a special focus on the most experimental of contemporary classical music. After studying ...
Composer Frederik Neyrinck (°1985) studied in Brussels, Stuttgart and Graz with Piet Kuijken (piano), Jan Van Landeghem, Marco Stroppa and Clemens Gadenstätter (composition). His compositions were already performed by different ensembles and orchestras in Belgium and abroad ...
Performer, singer, composer, lyricist, and actor. Gregory Frateur is primarily known for his distinctive voice and as the frontman of the Belgian band Dez Mona, with whom he has built a repertoire of 9 studio albums, a live album, and several soundtracks for film, theater, and dance ...
Hantrax is the alias of Antwerp based composer, performer, and pianist Han Swolfs (1984). Renowned for his live electronic performances and imaginative piano stage productions, his shows are kinetic, atmospheric, hypnotic, and cinematic. A multi-faceted musician who is both enigmatic ...
What began more than 30 years ago as a traditional wind octet has grown under the inspiring leadership of artistic director and founding father Francis Pollet into an ensemble and music production house of international repute. The operation of I SOLISTI consists of four main pillars ...
Jasmijn plays a wide spectrum, from classical cello across microtonal experiments to electronically manipulated improvisations. In 2021, Jasmijn got selected for Studio Classic, an intense artistic trajectory supported by B-Classic and VONK. As a soloist, Jasmijn gave concerts ...
Jasper Segers (b. 1993) is a musician, producer, mixer, known for his work with Jaguar and Sylvie Kreusch. He also works behind the scenes as a sound wizard for various projects. His solo project Jacobin earned him the Theater Aan Zee Jongmuziekprijs in 2019.
Jófríður Ákadóttir (born 4 August 1994) is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist known as JFDR and is a founding member of the musical groups Samaris and Pascal Pinon. She has worked with numerous other musicians and has ...
Kieran Brunt is a singer, songwriter and producer based in London. A versatile musician working across a broad range of genres, he first discovered music through singing in choirs and operas as a schoolboy. After playing in bands and busking as a teenager, he went on to study music ...
Pianist Kim Van den Brempt has an eclectic repertoire that ranges from accompanist to soloist to classical musician. He has worked on more than a hundred contemporary music creations, among others with Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, led by Jean-Paul Dessy. His interest in contemporary ...
Laurence Roothooft (Antwerpen, 1987) is an actress, performer and singer. She graduated from the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. She and her husband Tom Pintens make up the duo ELDERS, an English-language electronic pop band with vocals and synths.
Laurens Mariën (b. 1990), studied diction and drama at Kunsthumaniora Antwerp before obtaining a master’s degree in autonomous design at KASK School of Arts in Ghent. During his studies, Mariën began curating exhibitions and making music. This gave rise to ...
Who are we? Who are we as an artist? Who are we as a person? It is probably one of the most essential questions we can ask ourselves. But I consider answering this question a process. A process that is taking us a step forward every day. However important this question may be to ...
Leonardo Melchionda (b. 1992) is an Italian musician who creates productions and perfomances within contemporary music. Classical guitar, electric guitar and electronics are the main ways he discovers the possibilities of new music. Currently, Leonardo is taking a ManaMa contemporary ...
Luc Ponet is organist-titularist of the Basilica in Tongeren, organist-in-residence of the Landcommanderij Alden Biesen - the European cultural and congress centre of the Flemish community in Bilzen - and city organist of Leuven. He combines this with an international career as concert ...
Lucas Derycke (1990) is an audio and theatre maker. He graduated from the RITCS School of Arts in Brussels in 2014. His work finds its way to radio stations and theatre halls at home and abroad. For the audio piece 'Screener', he received the Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden ...
Maarten Lingier (1993) started his studies in the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with prof. Jan Wijn for piano in 2011 and graduated in 2015 'with excellence' for the Bachelor in Music. In 2015, he started studying at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel as a master student to study ...
Maribeth Diggle (1979, USA) received her vocal education from the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the Musik Hochschule Luzern, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Dutch National Opera Academy. Having performed in major venues around the world including Sadler’s ...
Martijn Vanbuel studied jazz double bass at the Lemmensinstituut conservatory of Leuven, Belgium (now LUCA School of Arts) and at the Superieur Conservatory of Paris, France. After a brief show-up in the scene of Shanghai, China, Martijn lives in Taipei, Taiwan, from 2016 till ...
Matthias Van de brul (Bonheiden, 1995) graduated from LUCA Drama in 2018, where he developed a strong preference for idiosyncratic text theatre. He played with companies such as Het nieuwstedelijk, Muziektheater Walpurgis, De Nwe Tijd, tg Nunc and fABULEUS. He made the performances ...
Maya Dhondt started her classical piano studies at the Conservatory of Ghent and finished them at the Conservatory of Antwerp in 2020. Since graduating, she has alternated performing assignments with her own creations. In her work, she explores the boundaries and potential overlaps ...
Michiel De Naegel was born in Beringen. In 2018 he earned a master’s degree in composition at KASK School of Arts in Ghent, where the character Joeri Chipsvingers was born. De Naegel was asked to compose an upbeat tune. The result made him think of the opening music for an ...
Philippe Thuriot has been zigzagging between different worlds throughout his musical career. His first musical influences came from the jukebox and the bal-musettes in Le café du Village, his parents' pub. Although he studied "noble" instruments such as the violin and clarinet ...
Pieter Theuns started his career as a self-taught guitar player with a focus on rock and pop music. Along the way, his attention shifted towards classical music. He earned a master’s degree in classical music from the Lemmensinstituut (under Raphaëlla Smits) and ...
Rashif El Kaoui earned a master's degree in diction from the Royal Conservatory Antwerp in 2014 and has since worked as an actor, audio maker, and writer. In 2016 he won the El Hizjra Literature Prize for prose. His work was published in Das Magazin and Das Mag’s 2018 Sampler ...
Trained at the Brussels and Liège Conservatories with Alain Crepin and Philippe Leblanc, Rhonny Ventat was propelled to the forefront of the scene thanks in particular to the Young Soloists Competition organised by the RTBF, of which he was a prizewinner in 1985. After his ...
Singer Rianne Wilbers is a musician who likes to take on challenges and connect people. She is widely praised for her artistic vision, her bravado and perseverance. In February 2016, Rianne graduated cum laude with Symphony No. 3 by Górecki for the Classical Singing course ...
Richard R. He (born 1996) is a Swedish composer and pianist living in Belgium. His musical background has been shaped by his academic training in classical music. However, his own music strives for psychedelic and transcendental sounds with influences from rock, minimalism and electronic ...
Roman Hiele is a composer and performer of electronic music. He released seven albums between 2013 and 2020 on the Belgian labels Ekster, Ultra Eczema, and his own imprint Universal Exports which he runs with musician Yves De Mey and designer Allon Kaye. Hiele takes his music worldwide ...
Tim Finoulst (1986) graduated summa cum laude in 2010 from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp with Hendrik Braeckman and Martijn van Iterson. He followed masterclasses with Peter Hertmans, Hans Van Oost, John Scofield, Fabien Degryse, Serge Lazarevitch, Jonathan Kreisberg, Hilmar ...
www.wouterdewit.be
Young Belgian Strings is a string orchestra composed of 21 young talents from the different string instrument classes of all the Royal Conservatories and Music Schools of Belgium. YBS wish to give to our laureates and students the opportunity to meet, exchange experiences, ...