Ward
De Vleeschhouwer
(piano)
Ward De Vleeschhouwer began his piano training at the E. Hullebroeck
Academy in his hometown of Ghent, Belgium. After graduating from the
Academy, he continued his studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Ghent,
studying piano with Claude Coppens and Daan Vandewalle, composition
with Luc Brewaeys and Frank Nuyts, and improvisation with Peter Vermeersch.
Further he followed piano masterclasses with Jan Michiels, Daniel Blumenthal,
Mariko Kaneda, Thomas Rozenkrans and Tae Yoshioka.
As a composer, Ward wrote for piano, chamber music and works for different
ethnic instruments. Many of his titles have names of African masks such
as Boki (2010) for piano solo and Goli (2009) for piano four hands.
In 2003 he founded “A Tryst,” an unusual project combining
original compositions, traditional West African music and modern dance.
In 2005 he received a commission from the theatre group NUNC to compose
music for children for their new production ‘Raisonnez’,
which won in 2008 a price for culture. Since 2005 he's NUNC’s
composer in residence. After that he received several commissions for
other theaterprojects (Fabuleus Youth Theatre - “Forza”,
Hugo Van Laere - ‘Voor Altijd!’). Ward also wrote for ensembles
as Spectra Ensemble, Thelema Trio and Aranis. Several of his works are
recorded on CD. And some of his piano works are published with HrdScr
Editions.
Besides Thelema Trio he is a member of the progressive chamber rockband
Aranis. With these ensembles and as a soloist, Ward has played on prestigious
festivals and renowned concert halls in Belgium (Flanders Festival,
Bijloke concert hall and Ha’ - Gent), the Netherlands (November
Music), Italy (Soundscape Festival), Japan (International Clarinet Festival
in Tama Center), the USA (New Art and Music Festival Bowling Green -
Ohio), Society of Composer Inc. National Conference, Greensboro-North
Carolina), Peru ( 2nd & 3rd Festival internacional de Música
Contemporánea - Lima), Germany (Freakparade ArtRock Festival
II) Switzerland (Paul Klee Museum - Bern), France (Rock in Opposition
festival) and Austria (Bösendorf Hall - Vienna).
Peter Verdonck
(alto, tenor & baritone saxophone)
Peter Verdonck started the study of the saxophone at the Music Academy
of Turnhout with Mark Verdonck, which he continued at the music department
of the Heilig Graf Institute in Turnhout. After finishing his high school
in 1998, he moved to Ghent to study with Willy Demey at the Royal Conservatory.
There he took courses in composition with Lucien Posman as well and
he graduated in June 2003 with highest honours for saxophone, chamber
music and improvisation. In June 2007 Peter obtained the diploma for
Postgraduate Concert Soloist at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp with
Hans De Jong. Furthermore he followed masterclasses with Hans De Jong,
Claude Delangle and Rasscher Saxophone Quartet.
Besides Thelema Trio, Peter plays with the Rhythm Junks and he’s
the founder, composer, singer and saxophonist of his own band Swinetrek.
Champ d’Action often engages Peter for their contemporary and
experimental projects. In 2009 he founded a new trio called Trhizoom,
that explores the existing repertory for 2 saxophones and piano, but
also challenges composers to write for this trio in which the saxophones
range from sopranino to bass. As a saxophone player he is very inspired
by free music and improvisation, which led to his membership with the
free jazz group Aardbeefman. These bands, ensembles and projects have
brought him to halls all over Belgium, but also the Netherlands, Slovakia,
Poland, Italy, France, Germany, Peru, the USA, China and Japan and he
had also recorded several CD’s with them. Peter taught masterclasses
and workshops himself in a.o. Lima and Arequipa in Peru, the University
of Houston, Texas, Oklahoma University, University of Central Missouri,
USA.
As a saxophone and chamber music teacher Peter is connected to Dé
Kunsthumniora Antwerpen, the Heilig Graf Institute in Turnhout and the
academy Zoltàn Kodàly in Wijnegem. He composes chamber
music for many different line-ups. A number of his works have been recorded
by Thelema Trio, Ambrassband and Aranis.
Rik De Geyter
(Bb & bass clarinet)
Clarinetist Rik De Geyter started playing the clarinet with Luc Heyvaert
and Geert Baetens. Later he joined the music school of Lokeren where
he was a student of Filip Haentjens.
After his secondary studies, he started his master studies with Eddy
Vanoosthuyse at the Lemmensinstitute in Leuven where he obtained his
Masters Degree in clarinet. Rik is currently studying clarinet and bass
clarinet with Eddy Vanoosthuyse and Marc Kerckhof at the Royal Conservatory
of Ghent. He attended several masterclasses with a.o. M. Arrignon, E.
Eban, R. Walzel and N. Baldeyrou.
During the 2008-2009 season, he was selected as a trainee in the Brussels
Philharmonic. Since then the Orchestra often engages him. In July 2007
he was semi-finalist of ‘TheYoung Artist Competition’, a
competition for young solists organized by the International Clarinet
Association which took place at the ClarinetFest in Vancouver.
As a soloist Rik played the clarinet concerto of Mozart , and recently
he was a guest on the Jazz & Sounds festival in Ghent. Besides his
musical activities, Rik is also President of the organization ‘Dagen
van de Huismuziek’, which organizes youth music holiday resorts
and internships.