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The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Providing performing
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
and drama courses, the institution became renowned partly because of the international reputation of its successive directors such as François-Joseph Fétis,
François-Auguste Gevaert François-Auguste Gevaert (31 July 1828 in Huysse, near Oudenaarde – 24 December 1908 in Brussels) was a Belgian musicologist and composer.N. Slonimsky, Ed., ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', 8th ed., Schirmer Books, NY Li ...
,
Edgar Tinel Edgar Pierre Joseph Tinel (27 March 185428 October 1912) was a Belgian composer and pianist. He was born in Sinaai, today part of Sint-Niklaas in East Flanders, Belgium, and died in Brussels. After studies at the Brussels Conservatory with Lo ...
,
Joseph Jongen Joseph Marie Alphonse Nicolas Jongen (14 December 1873 – 12 July 1953) was a Belgian organist, composer, and music educator. Biography Jongen was born in Liège, where his parents had moved from Flanders. On the strength of an amazing precocity ...
or
Marcel Poot Marcel Poot (7 May 1901 in Vilvoorde, Belgium – 12 June 1988 in Brussels) was a Belgian composer, professor, and musician. Personal life His father, Jan Poot, was Director of the (Flemish Theatre) in Brussels. Early life Born to the dir ...
, but more because it has been attended by many of the top musicians, actors and artists in Belgium such as Arthur Grumiaux, José Van Dam, Sigiswald Kuijken, Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink. Adolphe Sax, inventor of the
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
, also studied at the Brussels Conservatory. In 1967, the institution split into two separate entities: the , which teaches in Dutch, and the , which continued teaching in
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. While the French-speaking entity remained an independent public institution of higher education (''École supérieure des arts''), the Flemish entity integrated the
Erasmus University College Erasmus University College (EUC) is a public liberal arts college situated in Rotterdam, South Holland. It is the undergraduate honours college of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, offering it's students a BSc degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences ...
as one of its Schools of Arts.


Building

The current Royal Conservatory building consists of three wings arranged around a courtyard and is the work of architect
Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar (1811–1880) was a Belgian architect. He is the father of the Cluysenaar family. Family He was born in Kampen in the Netherlands as a son of Joannes Kluysenaar and Garidenia Kluysenaar, a Dutch family of archi ...
, built to his designs between 1872 and 1876. The style is
neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...
, influenced by the Lescot Wing of the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...
. The decorative program of the facade is very elaborate, with five separate
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...
sculptures (''Instrumental Music'' by Liège sculptor Adolphe Fassin, ''Orchestration'' by
Charles van der Stappen Charles van der Stappen (also Karl van der Stappen; 19 September 1843 – 21 October 1910), was a Belgian sculptor, born in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Life Educated at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (1859–1868), van der Stappen ...
, ''Composition'' by
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
sculptor Frans Deckers, ''Performing Arts'' by Antoine-Félix Bouré, and ''Poetry'' by Tournai sculptor Barthélemy Frison) and other incidental work including garlands, caryatids,
palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...
and musical instruments by sculptors Georges Houtstont, Paul de Vigne, Antoine-Joseph Van Rasbourgh, Auguste Braekevelt, and Égide Mélot.


Auxiliary activities


Concerts

Each year a variety of regular student concerts and performances is organised by the Conservatory, boasting over hundred events and enhanced by two festivals. The right wing of the Conservatory contains a 600 seats ornate concert hall in Napoleon-III style with exceptional acoustic qualities, equipped with a Cavaillé-Coll organ.


Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)

Founded in 1877 to provide students with a practical education about ancien instruments, the Conservatory museum, currently referred to as the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) of Brussels displays over 8,000 ancient instruments acquired by the celebrated musicologist François-Joseph Fétis, rare pieces from the initial collection, from the various funds or from new acquisitions. Since 2000, the museum, one of the most important ones of its kind, is located in the prestigious Art Nouveau building conceived in 1899 by the architect
Paul Saintenoy Paul Saintenoy (19 June 1862 – 18 July 1952) was a Belgian architect, teacher, architectural historian, and writer. Family ] Born in 1862 in Ixelles, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium, Saintenoy was the son of the architect Gustave Sainte ...
for the former Old England (department store), Old England
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appe ...
.


Library

Initially created with a pedagogic aim, the Conservatory library hosts about 250,000 references, representing a scientific instrument of international resonance. It primarily consists of works about music (including more than 1200 musical or musicological periodicals), as well as of autograph, printed or digitized (scanned) scores. There is also an important collection of more than 8.000 libretti of Italian, French or German operas from the XVIIe and XVIIIe s., lute and guitar tablatures, several thousands of handwritten letters of musicians, iconographic documents (over 9.000 pieces), concert programmes and various types of recordings (magnetic tapes, video, 78 and 33 rpm vinyl, CD, etc.). Next to the core collections, the library possesses several subcollections of historical importance, together forming an extensive patrimony: * the Johann J.H. Westphal collection bought by Fétis (manuscripts of C.P.E. Bach an
G.P. Telemann
, * the Richard Wagener collection acquired by the librarian Alfred Wotquenne (German music from the XVIIe, XVIIIe and XIXe s. including 40 autograph manuscripts from three sons of J.-S. Bach), * the Jean-Lucien Hollenfeltz collection (documents of Constance Mozart and her youngest son Franz Xaver Amadeus Mozart), * the Maria Malibran collection (documents and objects from the cantatrice and her close family), * the Edmond Michotte collection (pieces from Rossini's private library), * the Józef Wieniawski collection (autograph scores from the pianist), * the Laurent Halleux collection, * the Joseph Jongen collection. The library is open to the general public. In 2015, the library acquired the score collection of CeBeDeM (Belgian Centre for Music Documentation). In doing so it also took over the latter's objectives in promoting Belgian contemporary music worldwide.


Personalities linked to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels


Directors

* 1833–1871: François-Joseph Fétis * 1871–1908:
François-Auguste Gevaert François-Auguste Gevaert (31 July 1828 in Huysse, near Oudenaarde – 24 December 1908 in Brussels) was a Belgian musicologist and composer.N. Slonimsky, Ed., ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', 8th ed., Schirmer Books, NY Li ...
* 1908–1912:
Edgar Tinel Edgar Pierre Joseph Tinel (27 March 185428 October 1912) was a Belgian composer and pianist. He was born in Sinaai, today part of Sint-Niklaas in East Flanders, Belgium, and died in Brussels. After studies at the Brussels Conservatory with Lo ...
* 1912–1925: Léon Du Bois * 1925–1939:
Joseph Jongen Joseph Marie Alphonse Nicolas Jongen (14 December 1873 – 12 July 1953) was a Belgian organist, composer, and music educator. Biography Jongen was born in Liège, where his parents had moved from Flanders. On the strength of an amazing precocity ...
* 1939–1949: Léon Jongen * 1949–1966:
Marcel Poot Marcel Poot (7 May 1901 in Vilvoorde, Belgium – 12 June 1988 in Brussels) was a Belgian composer, professor, and musician. Personal life His father, Jan Poot, was Director of the (Flemish Theatre) in Brussels. Early life Born to the dir ...


Directors of the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles

* 1966–1973: Camille Schmit (in French) * 1974–1987: Éric Feldbusch (in French) * 1987–2002: Jean Baily (in French) * 2003–present: Frédéric de Roos


Directors of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel

* 1966–1994: Kamiel D'Hooghe (in Dutch) * 1994–2004: Arie Van Lysebeth (in Dutch) * 2004–2008: Rafael D'haene * 2008–2017: Peter Swinnen * 2017–2021: Kathleen Coessens *2021–present: Jan D'haene


Notable faculty

* Charles-Auguste de Bériot, violin * Daniel Blumenthal (piano) * Lola Bobesco (violin) * François Daneels, saxophone * Luc Devos (piano) *
Paul Dombrecht Paul Dombrecht (born 1948, Ostend) is a Belgian oboist performing on period instruments as well as the modern oboe. He appears frequently with other prominent musicians and baroque orchestras. He is the son of Stefaan Dombrecht, who was organist ...
(oboe) *
François Fernandez François Fernandez (born 22 February 1960) is a French classical violinist who specializes in historically informed performance. Career Born in Rouen in a family of musicians, Fernandez began learning the classical violin at the age of twelve, ...
(baroque) * Bernard Foccroule, organ * Julien Ghyoros, direction * Katarina Glowicka, computer music *
Philippe Graffin Philippe Graffin (born 1964 in Romilly-sur-Seine) is a French violinist The following lists of violinists are available: * List of classical violinists, notable violinists from the baroque era onwards * List of contemporary classical violinis ...
, violin * Yossif Ivanov (violin) * Barthold Kuijken (baroque) *
Jacques Leduc Jacques Leduc (born November 25, 1941) is a Canadian film director and cinematographer. Biography Leduc began his career in 1961 working as a film critic for the magazine ''Objectif''. The following year, at the age of 21, he was hired as a came ...
(direction, composition) *
Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens Jacques-Nicolas (Jaak-Nicolaas) Lemmens (3 January 1823 – 30 January 1881), was an organist, music teacher, and composer for his instrument. Biography Born at Zoerle-Parwijs, near Westerlo, Belgium, Lemmens took lessons from François-Joseph ...
, organ * Jean Louël, piano * Jan Michiels (piano) * Norbert Nozy ( brass band) * Igor Oistrach (violin) *
Philippe Pierlot Philippe Pierlot (born 1958) is a Belgian viola da gamba player and a conductor in historically informed performance. He is also an academic teacher at the royal conservatories of The Hague and Brussels. Career Born in Liège, Pierlot learned ...
(baroque) * Marie Pleyel, piano *
Eliane Reyes Eliane can refer to: Éliane * Éliane a French feminine given name ** Éliane, the name for Hill A1 in the 1954 battle of Dien Bien Phu taken by Colonel General Nguyễn Hữu An * Pierre Éliane (1955), French singer and Carmelite friar Eliane I ...
, piano * Adolphe Samuel, composition * Adrien François Servais (cello) *
André Souris André Souris (; 10 July 1899 – 12 February 1970) was a Belgian composer, conductor, musicologist, and writer associated with the surrealist movement. Biography Souris was born in Marchienne-au-Pont, Belgium, and studied at the Conservatory ...
(direction, composition) *
Annelies Van Parys Annelies Van Parys (born 5 June 1975) is a Belgian classical composer of chamber music, symphonic music, music for theatre productions and opera. Life Born in Bruges, Van Parys studied at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, piano with Johan Duijck ...
, form analysis * Henri Vieuxtemps, violin *
Boyan Vodenitcharov Boyan Vodenitcharov ( bg, Боян Воденичаров) (born 1960) is a Bulgarian pianist and composer. While a student in Sofia's State Conservatory (where he was later a teacher) he won the 1982 National Composition Competition, and was awar ...
(piano) * Henryk Wieniawski, violin *
Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Legend of the Ysaÿe violin Eugène Ysa ...
, violin * Juliusz Zarębski, piano


Notable alumni

* Isaac Albéniz * Elie Apper *
Atar Arad Atar Arad (Hebrew: עתר ארד; born 8 March 1945) is an Israeli American violist, professor of music, essayist and composer. Biography Arad and his brother, architect Ron Arad, were born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Arad began his training on the vio ...
*
Oskar Back Oskar Back (9 June 18793 January 1963) was a noted Austrian-born Dutch classical violinist and pedagogue. He taught at the Amsterdam Conservatory for 42 years, and also had a significant earlier teaching career in Belgium. Biography Oskar Back wa ...
* Peter Benoit * Fabrizio Cassol * Claire Chevallier * Alain Crépin * François Daneels * Lara Fabian *
Gianfranco Pappalardo Fiumara Gianfranco Pappalardo Fiumara (born July 2, 1978 in Catania, Sicily) is an Italian pianist, specializing in baroque performance. Career Fiumara is a graduate from the Milan Conservatory. He performed as soloist at Carnegie Hall in New York Cit ...
* John Giordano * Edwin Grasse * Mansoor Hosseini * Albert Huybrechts * Anthony Jennings *
Désiré Magnus Désiré Magnus (né Magnus Deutz; 13 June 1828 – 17 December 1883) was a Belgian concert pianist, teacher and composer of salon music who published under the pseudonym D. Magnus. Biography Magnus was born in Brussels and studied piano with ...
*
Alma Moodie Alma Mary Templeton Moodie (12 September 18987 March 1943) was an Australian violinist who established an excellent reputation in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. She was regarded as the foremost female violinist during the inter-war years, and s ...
*
Norbert H. J. Nozy Norbert H. J. Nozy (born 9 September 1952 in Halen, Belgium) is a contemporary Belgians, Belgian conductor, music educator, and classical saxophonist. Education Nozy was introduced to music at a young age through his father, Norbert Nozy, who wa ...
*
André Rieu André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...
* Elsa Ruegger * Noël Samyn ( fr) * Adolphe Sax *
Celia Torra Celia may refer to: General *Celia (given name) *''Celia'', a subgenus of carabid beetles of the genus '' Amara'' *Celia, the last natural-born Pyrenean Ibex * Celia (virtual assistant), AI virtual assistant by Huawei *, a number of ships with ...
* José van Dam * Carl Verbraeken * Aimee Wiele *
Alfred Wotquenne Alfred Wotquenne (; 25 January 186725 September 1939) was a Belgian musical bibliographer, best known for his catalogues of the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Christoph Willibald Gluck. Biography Wotquenne was born in Lobbes, Hainault, Be ...
*
Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Legend of the Ysaÿe violin Eugène Ysa ...


References


External links


Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel

Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles

Erasmus University College

Arts Platform Brussels

http://www.lacambre.be

http://www.insas.be

Royal Conservatory of Brussels library catalog

CeBeDeM

Virtual exhibition : La collection de manuscrits de Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) à la Bibliothèque des Conservatoires royaux de Bruxelles
(French only) {{authority control Educational institutions established in 1813 1813 establishments in the Southern Netherlands Arts organizations established in the 1810s Drama schools in Belgium Music schools in Belgium Film schools in Belgium Music in Brussels