conductor

Wouter Lenaerts (°1981) is considered one of the most all-round musicians of his generation. As a composer, conductor and pianist he is active on numerous musical domains that affect and intensify each other and result in a profound musical experience. In his artistic vision, he seeks an enriching synergy between the creation and performance of music. As a composer Wouter is known for his colorful, natural and expressive style of composing.

His works have been performed all over Europe, the USA, Latin America and Japan by orchestras such as the Lithuanian National Orchestra (Vilnius), Kauno Miesto Sinfoninis Orkestras (Kaunas), Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra (Gdansk), Osaka Municipal Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Osaka), Rundfunk Blasorchester (Leipzig), Royal Symphonic Wind Orchestras of the Belgian Guides and Air Force (Brussels), Royal Symphonic Wind Orchestra of the Netherlands, as well as by well-known soloists as Anneleen Lenaerts, Joana Daunyte, Marina Piccinini, Daniela Koch, Aldo Baerten, Karel Schoofs, Dionysis Grammenos, Norbert Nozy,…

Wouter is the founder, artistic leader and conductor of symphoniaASSAI, a new symphonic orchestra in Flanders. As a conductor he also collaborated with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian Youth Soloist Orchestra (Stavanger), Kauno Miesto Sinfoninis Orkestras (Kaunas), Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Limburg (Hasselt), Royal Symphonic Wind Orchestras of the Belgian Guides and Air Force (Brussels), Royal Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Thorn) and worked together with renowned soloists as Torleif Thedéen, Lars Anders Tomter, Liza Ferschtman, Jonas Bylund, Francis Orval, Stéphane Labeyrie, Anneleen Lenaerts, Raymond Curfs,…

Wouter studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels where he received 5 Master Degrees.
In the class of Rafael D’Haene and Boyan Vodenitcharov he studied Music Writing (Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue) en Piano (2004).
He studied Wind Band Conducting with Norbert Nozy and conducted the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides in his exam concert. One of the works on the program was his composition ‘Niflheim’ for symphonic wind orchestra.
In 2007 he graduated in Composition with the highest distinction in the class of Rafaël D’Haene with his work ‘Lettres Oubliées’ for symphonic orchestra. Wouter studied Symphonic Conducting with Silveer Van den Broeck and Ronald Zollman and in 2008 he conducted the ‘Kauno Miesto Symfoninis Orkestras’ in Kaunas (Lithuania). On this exam concert he also performed the premiere of his own composition ‘Lettres Oubliées’.

Wouter was assigned several times for his remarkable studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He received the prize 'Lunssens' for his exceptional results of Harmony. Also for Fugue he was rewarded with the prize 'Gevaert'. Moreover he was awarded the prize of the Artistic Foundation 'Mathilde E. Horlait-Dapsens' for his extraordinary merits at this Conservatory.

Since 2004 he teaches Music Writing, Instrumentation and Analysis for conductors at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels.

The piece 'Devil's Island' for symphonic wind band was awarded the 'First Prize with unanimity' at the Composition competition of the 'European Music Festival for Youngsters' in Neerpelt. It became the obligatory piece in the highest level for the 'European Music Festival' for orchestras in May 2005.
From his concerto for flute and orchestra, which was commissioned by the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp and flutist Aldo Baerten, a DVD recording was made during the start, development and premiere in March 2006. The live recording of the piece received very good foreign press releases.
In 2006 & 2011 Wouter has been nominated for the 'Gouden Klaproos', the SABAM trophy for creative artists in the division Wind music and Chamber music in Flanders and Brussels.