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The Belgian pianist, composer, director of music, author and researcher, Geert Callaert, took piano classes with Jan Vermeulen in Leuven. He obtained the highest degrees for piano, chamber music, piano accompaniment, advanced musical analysis, composition and conducting (the special prize LemmensTinel) at the former Lemmensinstituut Leuven (1993-1995). He later studied contemporary performance strategies at Orpheus Insituut (1998-2002), graduating in 2002 with a project on the piano music and chamber music with percussion of Stockhausen, Xenakis and Wuorinen. During his formative years he participated in many seminars, among them the Stockhausen courses (Stockhausen Courses 1998, 1999, 2000, Kürten, Germany) and seminars at the IRCAM in Paris.
Today, Geert Callaert is much sought after as a soloist and chamber musician at home and abroad because of his large and virtuoso repertoire, ranging across the whole gamut from classical to new music. His compositions and writing abilities have constantly gained interest worldwide. His performances as a pianist and a conductor as well as his own music compositions can be found on over 30 CD's and DVD's. He collaborated on different film scorings as a performer and his name pops up on a regular base in the credits of films such as High Rise and many others. He has published different articles and texts in the past on contemporary music and art in general for different occasions.
Geert Callaert has been pianist accompanist at AP Antwerpen Koninklijk Muziekconservatorium Antwerpen (October 2014-June 2016); researcher, accompanist, prof advanced ear training, contemporary ensemble at LUCA-Arts campus Lemmensinstituut (September 1990-December 2018); Professor piano in the Master of Music Programme of the Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Tilburg, The Netherlands (since October 2015). He is also a member of the artistic board, a co-founder of the HERMESensemble and a core performer in the ensemble (since June 1997).
Different composers – Marc Yeats (UK), Robert Groslot (Belgium), Michael Sahl (USA), Idin Samimi Mofakham (Iran), Martyna Kosecka (Poland), Kee Yong Chong (Singapore), Michael Sahl (USA) – have written their most beautiful piano music for him.
At the beginning of 2016 the Union of Belgian Composers has awarded Geert Callaert the FUGUE Trophy for the performance of Belgian art music in an unanimous vote. He often collaborates with different professional ensembles and orchestras in Belgium and he is a welcome guest at festivals and international competitions worldwide. In May and June 2015 he has performed Green Table during the concert tour “In Flanders Fields” with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (read a superb concert critics in the Financial Times of May 12, 2015). April 2016 he was performing all Persian and Belgian new music as a star soloist at the First Contemporary Music Festival in Tehran (Iran).
September-October 2017 and March-April 2018 he has been a music director for two new productions with the Royal Ballet of Flanders creating new music by Gavin Bryars with stage director Edouard Lock. |
