François Daneels (born 1921

Tubize Tubize (; nl, Tubeke ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Tubize had a total population of 22,335. The total area is 32.66 km2 which gives a population density of 6 ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

—20 April 2010

) was an internationally renowned virtuoso classical saxophonist, a prolific composer, and music educator from Belgium. From 1954 to 1981, Daneels was professor of saxophone at his ''alma mater,'' the

Royal Conservatory of Brussels The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Provid ...

Education & career

Daneels studied music at the

, earning First Prize with Great Distinction in 1939. He had been a distinguished professor at the Conservatory since 1954. His performed internationally, including in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Hungary, former Czechoslovakia, and Denmark. More than forty compositions for solo saxophone were specifically written for him. Daneels also founded the Belgian Saxophone Quartet in 1953 and took it on a world tour that year. He also founded the Belgian Saxophone Quintet, the Belgium Saxophone Septet, and the Belgium Saxophone Octet. He is widely known for having founded the Belgian School of Saxophone, which he described as a blend of the French School of

Marcel Mule Marcel Mule (24 June 1901 – 18 December 2001) was a French classical saxophonist. He was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these piec ...

and the American School—a mixture characterized by the quality of sound, rhythmic rigor, observance of nuances, and respect of the text of pieces studied. When Daneels retired from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 1981, one of his former students,

Alain Crépin Alain Crepin (born 28 February 1954) is a Belgian saxophonist, composer, music educator and conductor. Crepin was born in Mettet near Dinant. He began his studies for saxophone, cello and piano at the Music Academy of Dinant. He studied at the ...

, succeeded him. Daneels founded the School of Music of

(l'école de musique de Tubize) in 1962, and, in addition to his duties at the

, served as director and professor there until 1974. The school has since been elevated to academy status, and, in 2004, was renamed Académie François Daneels. Daneels was the founding president of International Adolphe Sax Association in 1994, and served in that role until 2004. Beginning 1994, the association has hosted the International Adolphe Sax Competition every 4 years in

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

, the birthplace of

Adolphe Sax Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax (; 6 November 1814 – 4 February 1894) was a Belgian inventor and musician who invented the saxophone in the early 1840s, patenting it in 1846. He also invented the saxotromba, saxhorn and saxtuba. He played the fl ...

. For the competition, Daneels was chairman of the music committee for the 1994, 1998, and 2002 competitions. In January 1999, he was declared Honorary Citizen of the City of

Selected discography

* ''Concertos for Saxophone,''

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

173018 (1960) :1. "Double Concerto for Alto, Saxophone, Piano, and Orchestra," Op. 34 (1946), Raymomd Chevreuille, composer :: Daneels, saxophone; Marcel Gazelle, piano;

Orchestre national de Belgique The Belgian National Orchestra ( nl, Nationaal Orkest van België, french: Orchestre National de Belgique) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar). The orchestra also gi ...

; Raymomd Chevreuille (1901–1976), conductor :2. "Divertimento for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra," Op. 86,

Jean Absil Jean Absil (23 October 1893 – 2 February 1974) was a Belgian composer, organist, and professor at the Brussels Conservatoire. Biography Absil was born in Bonsecours, Hainaut, Belgium. His teacher there was Alphonse Oeyen, organist at the basil ...

, composer :: Belgium Saxophone Quartet;

;

René Defossez René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name ( Renée being the feminin ...

, conductor :3. "Piano Concerto No. 2," Jean Louël ::

Philibert Mees Philibert Mees (13 May 1929, in Mechelen – 29 June 2006, in Mechelen) was a Flemish composer and pianist. He was murdered in June 2006. In 1952, Mees obtained a degree at the Koninklijk Conservatory, the Royal conservatory of Antwerp. He ...

(1929–2006), piano;

;

, conductor * ''Saxophone en Concert,''

Zéphyr Records (Brussels) Zéphyr (Producteur phonographique) was a Belgian independent classical record label founded and owned by Schott frères, s.p.r.l. (Schott Brothers, private limited liability company), a Belgian music publishing and distributing firm. Zéphyr was ...

(1974) * ''Saxo-Retro,''

(1974) * ''Kaleidosax,'' Horizon Records (Tucson, Arizona) (1992) * ''The Classical Saxophone,''

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

(1975) * ''Récital de clarinette; Récital de saxophone; Quatuor Belge de Saxophones,''

Alpha Records Outhere Music is a Belgian classical music and jazz publisher, directed by Charles Adriaenssen, which owns several formerly independent labels, many of them boutique early music specialists: * Fuga Libera, a Belgian label founded in 2004 under ...

(Paris) (1973) * François Daneels, soloist on tracks 4 & 6,

Buffet Crampon Buffet Crampon SAS is a French manufacturer of wind instruments based in Mantes-la-Ville, Yvelines department. The company is the world market leader in the production of clarinets of the Boehm system. Its subsidiary, Buffet Crampon Deutsch ...

: Track 4: "Suite," for saxophone, André Waignein (composer) : Track 6: J.S. Bach * ''Récital de saxophone'' # "Fantaisie caprice," Op. 152,

(1971), Daneels (soloist) # "Sisyphus 1971,"

William P. Latham William Peters Latham, Sr. (4 January 1917 in Shreveport, Louisiana – 24 February 2004 in Denton, Texas) was an American composer and music educator. Teaching career Latham was educated in Kentucky, Ohio, and New York, completing degrees in com ...

(1971), Daneels (soloist) # "Variations,"

Pierre Max Dubois Pierre Max Dubois, sometimes given as Pierre-Max Dubois (1 March 1930 – 29 August 1995) was a French composer of classical music, conductor, and music educator. He was a student of Darius Milhaud, and though not widely popular, was respected ...

, Belgium Saxophone Quartet * ''Oeuvres de Jean Absil''

(195?) : Track 4: "Batterie," opus 29 (1937), text by

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...

, Daneels (soloist) * François Daneels, alto saxophone,

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''ha ...

(no date) : Westvlaams Orkest, Dirk Varendonck, conductor # "Ballade pour saxo, alto et archets,"

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 dire ...

# "Divertimento pour petit orchestre,"

Compositions dedicated to Daneels

* "Fantaisie Caprice," for saxophone and orchestra, Op. 152,

(1970) * "A Tribute to Sax," for saxophone and concert band,

(1993); piano version

Notable students

Elie Apper Elie Apper (born 1933) is a Belgian classical saxophonist who is well known as a former member of the Saxophone Quartet of Belgium ("Le Quatuor Belge de Saxophones"). The quartet was founded in 1953 and made its American debut December 9, 1970, in ...

Fabrizio Cassol Fabrizio Cassol (born 8 June 1964) is a Belgian saxophonist and the first user of the aulochrome (a double-reed instrument). He was born in Ougrée, Belgium. Between 1982 and 1985, he studied at the Liège conservatory and "obtained first priz ...

* John Giordano *

Norbert H. J. Nozy Norbert H. J. Nozy (born 9 September 1952 in Halen, Belgium) is a contemporary Belgian conductor, music educator, and classical saxophonist. Education Nozy was introduced to music at a young age through his father, Norbert Nozy, who was in a loc ...

* Marco Pütz (nl) (born 1958) * Noël Samyn (fr)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daneels, Francois 1921 births 2010 deaths Belgian classical musicians Belgian conductors (music) Belgian male musicians Male conductors (music) Classical saxophonists People from Tubize 20th-century saxophonists