bio
– Born in Bruges (1983), I studied violin, piano, music theory, composition and many more courses at the Bruges music conservatory. In Bruges I got my first composition lessons with Octaaf Van Geert. From 2002 till 2007, I studied composition at the Ghent Conservatory with Frank Nuyts, and attended, among others, classes by Godfried-Willem Raes (improvisation) and Filip Rathé (analyses and beyond). I visited different international composition seminars and master classes with Peter Eötvös, Luca Francesconi, Magnus Lindberg, Bruno Mantovani…. Besides composition seminars, I attended conducting classes/seminars with Ensemble Modern, Johannes Kalitzke, Marco Angius and Lucas Vis. In 2016, I obtained a Phd in arts at Ghent University/Ghent School of arts.
Since October 2016, I teach composition and orchestration at the Royal Conservatory Ghent.
(with Nadar Ensemble in the Bruges Concertgebouw)
– In 2006, my composition for string quartet …Passages… received the first prize during the Ghent Week of Contempory Music. My compositions (…nuit cassée.), (étude scénographique), (es), (Paysages – études) I, (…en paysage de nuit…), Les Aveugles, (…revenir dans l’oubli…), (…dans son presque silence…) and Notturno were selected by ISCM Flanders.
– I had the opportunity to collaborate with both Belgian and international ensembles and soloist, such as the Spectra Ensemble, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Aton & Armide, Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, Vocaallab, Gulbenkian Orchestra Lisbon, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, soloist Jean-Guihen Queyras… during festivals as the TRANSIT festival, Ars Musica, De Singel, ISCM world music days 2009 (Sweden), Concertgebouw Brugge, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Festival Musica Strasbourg 2010, Operadagen Rotterdam, De Munt/La Monnaie,… In 2022, I wrote the imposed work for the semi-finals of the Brussels Queen Elisabeth Composition for violoncello.
– Since 2008, I collaborate intensively with LOD, a Ghent based music theatre production house, which resulted in march 2012 in Les Aveugles, a chamber opera after Maurice Maeterlinck. This production was made in collaboration with the Liége/Paris based visual artist Patrick Corrilon. In April 2017, my second opera was premièred, Menuet, after a novel by Louis Paul Boon, in collaboration with stage director Fabrice Murgia.
– I also have a past as conductor. From 2006 to 2015, I regularly conducted and performed with the Nadar Ensemble, an ensemble dedicated to new music. With Nadar, I performed at various Belgian and international locations, highlights were concerts during Ars Musica 2008 & 2009, the Darmstädter Ferienkurse 2010, 2012 & 2014, Festival Musica Strasbourg 2010 and Donaueschinger Musiktage 2012.
– Recent works include Notturno for clarinet, violoncello and piano Eine schöne Müllerin, a large scale ‘Doppelzycklus’ for baritone and nine instruments after Schubert/Müller and (…sans rien dire…) for violoncello solo, five instruments and electronics.
– Upcoming projects include my third opera, Brodeck, commissioned by Opera Vlaanderen. In collaboration with stage director Fabrice Murgia, Brodeck will be premiered in February 2024 at the Antwerp/Ghent opera. In March 2024, Arne Deforce and Centre Henri Pousseur will premiere a new, extended version of Titan for violoncello and electronics.