Who Are We?

I studied mathematics at university before specialising in musicology, and also studied at the Lille Conservatoire, where I was awarded distinctions in recorder and chamber music. Throughout my musical career, I continued my training through courses and workshops led by distinguished choral conductors including Philippe Caillard, César Geoffray, Willy Gohl, Walter Weiler and Oriol Martorell.

A lifelong advocate of collective music-making, I have founded and directed numerous choirs, vocal ensembles and orchestras in Northern France. These include the Collegium Musicum of Lille University, the Ensemble Vocal des Flandres, the Madrigal de Lille, the Renaissance and Pierre de Manchicourt vocal ensembles, and the Chœur Variations. I also founded the Flanders Ensemble of Early Music Instruments and later the Flanders Sinfonietta Orchestra, promoting a repertoire ranging from Renaissance music to the great symphonic works.

My particular interest lies in Renaissance music. Over many years, I have transcribed and edited numerous works from original sources, seeking to combine historical and musical accuracy. Several of these editions have been published by the Cercle Musical de Paris.

Alongside my musical activities, I served from 1978 to 2002 as Technical and Educational Adviser to the Lille Regional Directorate for Youth and Sport, where I organised and supervised training courses in choral conducting, music education and repertoire studies. I also conceived and coordinated large-scale projects bringing together singers and instrumentalists to perform major works by composers such as Bach, Mozart and Mendelssohn.

I later founded and managed Musiques en Flandres, a publisher of choral music whose catalogue exceeded 600 titles. Today, in addition to my editorial work, I continue to sing French chansons accompanied by a barrel organ, sharing this rich tradition with audiences of all ages.