Odysseia Ensemble
Veerle Houbraken violin
Born in a musical family, Veerle Houbraken was very young fascinated by the violin. She belonged very soon to the class of Mrs Rijmenants, with whom she has been studying for about 10 years. She achieved her studies in the music school with the highest distinction and was at that time finalist of several competitions.
In the “Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles”, Veerle won with great distinction the first prizes of Violin and Chamber Music in the classes of Mr Korniszewski and Mr Siwy. In 2005 she obtained her Master with great distinction, also in the class of Mr Korniszewski. After her studies in Brussels, she decided to perfect in the Conservatory of Prague, with Mr Tomasek. In 2007, she obtained her pedagogical diploma.
During her studies, Veerle worked as a concertmaster in the «Jeugd en Muziek Orkest van Antwerpen», conducted by Ivo Venkov, and was quickly known in several professional orchestras. Among others, she was asked by the orchestras of the «Vlaams Opera» and of the «Brussels Philarmonic», and worked with several famous conductors. Since 2007, she has been a concertmaster in the «Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen».
For her personal development, Veerle still regularly follows masterclasses and violin lessons with, among others, G. Schulz, H Müller, M. Rizzi and L. Strauss.
In 2011 she worked in Ramallah (West-Bank, Palestina) as a violin teacher in the Barenboim-Said foundation.
For a few years, Veerle has been teaching in the music school « De Kunstbrug » in Gentbrugge, and has been a permanent member of the « Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen » and of the « Brussels Philarmonic »; she is also first violin of the Odysseia Ensemble.
Katrien Foubert violin
Katrien started her violin studies at the «Academie voor muziek, woord en dans» in Sint-Niklaas. She obtained a few prizes very young : the greatest distinction at the chamber music contest Ottoboni, finalist of the Jong-Tenuto contest, and the First prize of the Axion Classics contest. In 2001 she started her studies at the «Koninklijk Vlaams Conservatorium» of Antwerp, in the class of Kees Koelmans. In 2003, she continued her violin studies at the «Muziek Conservatorium» of Amsterdam. She obtained her Master with great distinction at the “Conservatoire de Bruxelles”, in the class of Shirly Laub. Meanwhile, she followed many masterclasses, among others with Leonid Kerbel, Adam Korniszewski, Lex Korff De Gidts, Johannes Leertouwer, Otto Derolez, Henry Raudales and Tibor Varga. She also had the opportunity to gain experience as a violinist in orchestras and national and international ensembles. Katrien Foubert is currently working as her doctorate project at the K.U.Leuven (FAK) on the musical improvisations and personality disorders. She is also working as a researcher at the «Universitar Psychiatrisch Centrum K.U.Leuven, campus Kortenberg». She is also teaching at the «Leuven University College of Arts, campus Lemmensinstituut».
Katelijne Onsia viola
Katelijne touched a violin for the first time at the age of 9, in the class of Matthias Pieters.
Very soon, she became active in many youth orchestras in Belgium and The Netherlands. She was selected 3 years in a row by the «European Youth Orchestra» during auditions organized in all the European countries. There she gained experience of the great orchestra repertoire, with leading conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy and Bernard Haitink, in legendary places all over the world. She ended her studies in the music school in style, being a laureate of the Axion Classics contest (former Pro Civitate).
At the Conservatory of Antwerp, in the class of Leo De Neve, she obtained her Master in 2004. Before her final examination, she won an audition at the “Orchestre National de Belgique”. For 10 years now, she has been an enthusiastic member of the viola section.
Katelijne regularly works with the «Symfonieorkest van Vlaanderen», the «Casco Phil» and as a leader at the “Orchestre de Chambre de Bruxelles”, at Frascati Symphonic and at the «Kamerfilharmonie Vlaanderen».
You can hear Katelijne on CD (in small ensembles) with Bent van Looy, The Happy, Paul Michiels … on or the original soundtrack of, among others, «Het Vonnis» (film by Jan Verheyen), and soon of «Brabançonne» (Vincent Bal).
Besides Odysseia, she is an alto violinist in the trio of harps Scarlet. In 2013, several musical adventures were included in the «Festival van Vlaanderen», le Festival de Wallonie, B-Classics … Katelijne was seen there at work with, among others, Roeland Hendrickx, the quartet Zemlinksy, but also with Ozark Henry or Bent van Looy.
Katelijne has also played the piano, the bassoon, and she has combined her viola studies at the Conservatory with theoretical studies (choral conducting) ; she also obtained her bachelor's degree in Maastricht in orchestra conducting.
Harmen Goossens cello
Harmen Goossens started to study cello at the age of 8, at the “Stedelijk Conservatorium” in Mechelen, in the class of Luc Tooten. In the last year, his teacher was Ludo Ide; he graduated with the highest distinction ; he also obtained the medal of the City of Mechelen. Later he studied in the class of Viviane Spanoghe at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium te Brussel», where he obtained his Master in 2008, with great distinction. The following year, he departed for Budapest, to perfect at the « Franz Liszt Academie » in the class of Làszlò Mezö. During his studies, he also followed several masterclasses with, among others, Gary Hoffman, Philip De Groote, Stanislas Firlej and Miklos Perényi.
Harmen is now a regular cellist of the Odysseia Ensemble, of the « Mechels Kamerorkest », of the string quartet Opus4, of the former string ensemble Bl!ndman, and of the duet Brohémien. However, he does not follow classical paths only. During the last season, he went on tour with Patrick Riguelle, and since the beginning of 2014 he has been responsible for the music and the sound landscapes of the very new ensemble «Meandertaal».
Harmen is also a percussionist and since 2011 has been following jazz song lessons in the class of Kristen Cornwell.
Jens Similox-Tohon double bass
Jens Similox-Tohon started to study the cello at the age of 8, and of the percussions at the age of 14. His interest for classical music, for jazz and above all for double bass increased during this period. During three years, he followed double bass lessons at the Academy of Hannuit, in the class of P. Cormann, and studied further at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel» in the class of Frank Coppieters. In June 2012 he obtained there his Master with distinction.
Jens works as a freelance musician in the following orchestras : The National Orchestra of Belgium, the «Filharmonie», De Munt/La Monnaie, the «Vlaamse Opera», the «Symfonie Orkest van Vlaanderen», the «Belgisch Kamer Filharmonie», the «Brussels Philharmonic» (VRO). He has played under contract for a half season (September 2011 – January 2012) at the National Orchestra of Belgium and played during the summer 2009 with the NJO (Nedrerlands Jeugd Orkest) as a panel leader, conducted by Ludovic Morlot. Jens also works as a baroque bass player, and has followed a masterclass with James Munro.
He is the bass player of the Odysseia Ensemble where, among others, he has created several works of Frederick Neyrinck; Jens is also a double bass and bass guitar teacher at the Academies of Tienen and Tielt-Winge (option Jazz/LIght Music and option Classical Music). He is actually completing his Bachelor for jazz bass, in the class of Christophe Wallemme, at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel».
Katrien Gaelens flute
Katrien Gaelens knew how to combine her various musical interests. She studied traverso with Patrick Beuckels and flute with Carlos Bruneel at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel». She also obtained her Master in chamber music. Later she studied with Mario Caroli at the Conservatory of Straatsburg, where she graduated in specialization of contemporary music.
Her interest for new music led her to the Centre Acanthes Metz, the «Ferienkurse» at Darmstadt and to different international masterclasses, where she had the opportunity to work with flutists like Mario Caroli, Sophie Cherrier and Wissam Boustany. Katrien was twice selected to take part in the «Lucerne Festival Academy», where she played under the direction of conductor Pierre Boulez and was coached by members of the “Ensemble Intercontemporain”.
She is regularly invited by ensembles like Champ d’Action, Spectra and Ictus. As a soloist and within ensembles, she has created works of, among others, Bruno Mantovani, Simon Steen-Andersen, Michael Beil and Stefan Prins. She is also a flutist and founding member of the Nadar Ensemble.
Besides new music, Katrien has a weakness for the repertoire of the romantic chamber music.
As a flutist of the Odysseia Ensemble, she is also present in the different distributions.
Dymphna Vandenabeele oboe
Dymphna Vandenabeele started to study the oboe at the age of 10 with Jan Wauters at the «Stedelijk Conservatorium» of Bruges (B). As a oboist she started her orchestra experience, among others at the « Filharmonisch Jeugdorkest van Vlaanderen», conducted by Robert Groslot, at the «Jonge Filharmonie» (Peter Rundel), at the «Nationaal Jeugdorkest» (Yvan Meylemans), at the National Orchestra of Belgium (Dirk Brossé), …
In 2003 she was the winner of the «Nationale Wedstrijd voor Muziek en Woord» of Dexia. In June 2008, she obtained the prestigious prize Ingeborg Köberle at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel». The same year, she completed her Master in oboe with the highest distinction, in the class of Paul Dombrecht.
Three years later, she obtained with great distinction her Master in baroque oboe in the class of Paul Dombrecht, and she received for the second time the Ingeborg Köberle prize.
Dymphna has followed masterclasses with Joris Van den Hauwe, Jacques Tys, Thomas Stacy, Alfredo Bernardini and others.
Since 2004, she has been playing in well-known orchestras and national and international ensembles like : The National Orchestra of Belgium, the «Mannheimer Hofkapelle», Anima Eterna, Il Gardellino, Bach Concentus, Il Fondamento, La Petite Bande, Les Agrémens,…
Since March 2010 she has been a member of the Belgian Guides Band, conducted by Yvers Segers, where she was promoted to first soloist in English horn.
As a member of the Odysseia Ensemble, she performs solo pieces and chamber music of the classical period, as well as contemporary works.
Dries Tack clarinet
Dries plays clarinet and other musical objects, within different formations and in very different styles. How he has drifted to the conservatory remains a mystery, but in 2000 he landed to Hedwig Swimberghe in Brussels. There he discovered his love for the experimentation and for the forefront. He also “discovered” chamber music (a passion that has only grown since).
Later, Dries has perfected in the conservatories of Tilburg and Antwerp, in the classes of Geert Baeckelandt, Ivo Lybeert and Pascal Moragues. In this period, he was also the second winner of the international clarinet contest « Julian Menendez » in Spain, and obtained the patrimony prize of the «Conservatorium Brussel». As a clarinetist, Dries is also a member of the Odysseia Ensemble, of the «Nadar Ensemble», of the Swedish ensemble «Curious Chamber Players» and of the chamber orchestra « Arc-en-Ciel ».
In 2011 Dries was guest professor at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel» and he is now teaching in the academies of Vilvoorde and Schaerbeek.
Emilie De Voght soprano
Emilie has studied with Dina Grossberger at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel» and obtained her Master in Music with great distinction. Later she studied with Margarida Natividade and she is actually perfecting with Ann de Renais. She has followed numerous masterclasses with Montserrat Caballé, Udo Reinemann, Jard van Nes, Alexander Oliver and Axel Everaert. She sang as a soloist in the “Vlaams Radio Koor”, in the “Collegium Vocale Gent” and with “La Petite Bande” conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. She still regularly works with the “Collegium Vocale Gent” conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, Ivan Fischer, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Marcus Creed. She is a founding member of the Odysseia Ensemble and of the chamber music ensemble “Les Fêtes Galantes” and regularly works with the Nadar ensemble which is specializing in contemporary music.
In 2012 she won the first prize of the international song contest Bell'Arte (B). Her participation in the Queen Elisabeth Song Competition in 2011 was noticed and earned her a number of solo concerts.
Since 2012, Emilie has also been regularly the guest of VocaalLAB, a Dutch company specialized in musical theatre, and has so had the opportunity to perform creations conducted by Filip Rathé and Reinbert de Leeuw. She started in the “Monnaie” with this company in April 2013, with the chamber opera «Les Aveugles» by Daan Janssens (in cooperation with LOD and Musiques Nouvelles).
With pianist Sylvie Decramer she also forms a lied duet with which she followed coachings with Wolfram Rieger and Erik Schneider.
Anthony Devriendt French horn
After studying in the music school of Roeselare, Anthony sarted in 2000 his professional musical training at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel», in the class of Luc Bergé. In 2006 he obtained his Master and started his career, which began at the “Opéra Royal de Wallonie” where he was fourth horn. Later, he occasionally worked with the “Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège”, the “Opéra Royal de Lyon”, the “Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie” and the “Monnaie” in Brussels. In the spring of 2008 he started his cooperation with the “Orchestre National de Belgique” as a horn soloist; this cooperation was followed by a permanent contract in January 2010.
Anthony Devriendt also plays chamber music. He is a member of the Odysseia Ensemble and of the ensemble I Solisti del Vento. He also often plays with Oxalys and Collectief and works with all the important copper ensembles of the country. His career as a soloist is more recent : he regularly played with several amateur groups, but also with professional orchestras like the Belgian Guides Band.
Recently Anthony started an international teaching career, with masterclasses in Antwerp, St. Petersburg and Ljubljana.
Ludovic Van Hellemont piano
Ludovic has studied the piano in Brussels, Berne and Basel. His main teachers were Claudio Martinez Mehner and Edoardo Torbianelli. Later he actively participated in masterclasses with, among others, Ferenc Rados, Menahem Pressler, Andras Schiff, Andreas Staier, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Sigiswald Kuijken and Hartmut Höll.
From the beginning of his studies, he was noticed for his commitment to contemporary music. He was the soloist in the Pianoconcerto by Ligeti in Brussels, participated in several concerts of the «Spectra Ensemble» (e.g., during the ISCM World Music Days in Sydney) and entirely played the «Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano» by John Cage in Berne. During the «Osterfestspiele 2014» in Baden-Baden he performed “Lehrstück” by Hindemith with the «Berliner Philharmoniker».
In 2010 he met Edoardo Torbianelli, who showed him the way to historical performance studies. He studied the pianoforte, the harpsichord, basso continuo and the improvisation at the «Schola Cantorum Basiliensis». In 2011 he inaugurated in the «Schloss Burgistein» a pianoforte dating from Schubert's time, and restored by Christopher Kern; he also played on this instrument during a concert given for the whole Swiss parliament.
Ludovic is much in demand as an interpretor of chamber music and a Lieder accompanist.
In 2009, he started the Odysseia Ensemble with a group of former classmates.
For several years, he has been studying the accompaniment of Lieder in the class of Udo Reinemann in Brussels. Meanwhile, he played many Lieder recitals, among other with Sophie Karthäuser, Anne Cambier, David Jerusalem, Lukas Zeman, Nicolas Bauchau and Nathalie Colas.
He followed a training as an accompanist at the “Opéra de la Monnaie” in Brussels (conducted by Evelino Pido) and accompanied several productions of the «Festspielhaus» in Baden-Baden, among others «Faust» by Gounod, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock (with Sonya Yoncheeva, Charles Castronovo and Erwin Schrott in the leading parts).
Ludovic actually lives in Switzerland and is a piano teacher at the «Alte Kantonsschule Aarau».
Frederik Neyrinck composition
took his first musical steps in the piano class of Anne Buyck in Wevelgem and Menen. Later he continued his studies at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel» in the class of Jan Van Landeghem (composition) and Piet Kuijken (piano). In 2008-2009 he studied the composition in the class of Marco Stroppa at the «Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst» in Stuttgart. Since October 2012 he has continued his composition studies at the «Kunstuniversität Graz» in the class of Clemens Gadenstätter.
He has already worked with different Belgian and international ensembles and with soloists, like the Odysseia Ensemble, I Solisti del Vento, Revue Blanche, Spectra Ensemble, Nadar Ensemble, Oxalys Ensemble, l'Ensemble L'Itinéraire, Neue Vocalsolisten, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, Schola Heidelberg, JACK Quartet, Latvijas Radio Koris, Noise Bridge, BL!NDMAN, Kalès Guitar Quartet, Jeugd en Muziek Vlaanderen, Jan Michiels... during festivals or organizations like Transit Festival Leuven, November Music Den Bosch, Acanthes Metz, Forme Uniche Melbourne, Contagious Sounds New York, Festival de l’abbaye du Pin Béruges, Festival Forum Wallis, ISCM World Music Days, Concertgebouw Brugge, Konzerthaus Vienna, De Singel Antwerp, Darmstädter Ferienkurse Reading Sessions, BOZAR Sundays Brussels, De Bijloke Ghent, TIK TAK TOE Meigem, De Link Tilburg, Essl Museum Klosterneuburg, Kaaitheater Brussels, En Avant Mars Ghent,…
As a composer he has already been the laureate of several contests, among others of the composition contest of West Flanders Province (2006), of the composition contest Emanon (2007), of the Agniez prize (2009), of the «Internal Composition Competition – Melbourne» (2010), of the composition contest AMA - Stephan De Jonghe (2011) and of MusMA (2012).
His works Contr’action II, Samsa – Impressionen and Mischung IV were selected by ISCM Vlaanderen (2010, 2011, 2012).
Since 201, he has been working as a pianist with the Platypus Ensemble, a Viennese contemporary music ensemble. With this ensemble, he played among others at the «Konzerhaus Vienna» (2013), World Music Days (2013), Gustav Mahler Musikwochen Toblach (2014) and during the "Re:construction"-project in Tokio (2014).
In his programme for 2014-2015 are cooperations/creations with Klangforum Wien, the Odysseia Ensemble, Gulbenkian Symphonic Orchestra, the Ensemble L'Itinéraire, Bozzini Quartet, Spectra Ensemble, Duo Soufflé, Revue Blanche, Ensemble Wiener Collage and Jona Kesteleyn (guitar).
Board of directors
Gérald de Hemptinne, president
Katelijne Boon, vice-president
Anne Van Outryve, treasurer
Wilfried Van den Brande, boardmember
Isaline Claeys, boardmember
Wannes Cuvelier bassoon
Wannes has studied at the «Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel» in the class of Luc Loubry and got there his Master in 2007, with great distinction. He obtained the Baron Lambert Prize in 2005 and the Crescendo Prize for wind instruments in 2007. He perfected in the «Hochschule für Musik Köln» in the class of Georg Klütsch. Wannes collaborated in productions of the National Orchestra of Belgium, the “Opéra de la Haute-Normandie”, the «Vlaamse Opera», the «Koninklijke Filharmonie Antwerpen», the «Vlaams Radio Orkest», the “Chapelle de la Lorraine”, the «Rotterdams Kamerorkest» and various recordings of cd- and broadcasts for radio and television. In September 2008 he won an audition at the ”Opéra de Wallonie” and was hired as a bassoon soloist.