Belgian composer, concert pianist, and conductor François Glorieux has passed away. The versatile native of Kortrijk left his mark across diverse musical genres, from jazz to classical, from pop to world music. His oeuvre comprises more than 300 beautiful compositions, and for his invaluable contribution to Belgium's musical heritage, Glorieux was honored with the title of knight. We celebrate his lasting influence on the world of music and remember his legacy with gratitude. In commemoration of his passing, we are republishing a survey of his achievements.
François Glorieux (b. 1932) began his musical journey at a young age. As a boy, he quickly found his way to the piano. He improvised on the instrument and wrote his first compositions. At seventeen years old, Glorieux left his native city of Kortrijk and moved to Ghent to continue his musical studies at the Conservatory. There he took piano lessons with Marcel Gazelle and composition lessons with George Lonque.
Both on national and international stages, Glorieux made a name for himself as a concert pianist. He enjoyed the support of Belgian conductor André Cluytens and the respect of other pianists such as Arthur Rubinstein and Yves Nat.
Glorieux's compositional style was heavily influenced by his chance meeting with American big band pioneer Stan Kenton. After their meeting, Glorieux was fascinated by the warm sound of brass instruments. As a concert pianist, he traveled the world and came into contact with various musical cultures. Latin American and Caribbean music particularly captured his interest. Additionally, Glorieux studied works by composers including Paul Hindemith, Igor Stravinsky, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He assimilated all these influences into what became his distinctive rich musical language.
Many of his works are therefore characterized by non-classical styles. For instance, Manhattan Op. 20 (1974) features jazz influences, he incorporated ragtime elements in Hello Mister Joplin (1982), and The Legend of Bruce Lee (1982) makes use of Chinese instruments.Yet despite all these diverse influences, Glorieux never forgot his Belgian roots. He used instruments such as the vibraphone and glockenspiel to evoke the Belgian coast in The Ostend Fisherman Wharf by Night (1988). His most recent work, Antwerp Hymn (2021) for string ensemble, was an ode to the city where he had lived since 1965. The work premiered at Klassiek aan de Schelde and was performed by the Great Globe Orchestra under the direction of Robert Groslot.Throughout his career, Glorieux regularly collaborated with dance companies and choreographers. The Royal Ballet of Flanders (now Opera Ballet Flanders), the Dutch National Ballet in The Hague, and the National Ballet in Amsterdam are among the production companies with which Glorieux worked. His first collaboration was the expressionisticHello Mister Joplin (1982) and creates The Legend of Bruce Lee (1982) featuring Chinese instruments.
But despite all these diverse influences, Glorieux never forgot his Belgian roots. He used instruments such as the vibraphone and glockenspiel to capture the essence of the Belgian coast in The Ostend Fisherman Wharf by Night (1988). His most recent work, too, Antwerp Hymn (2021) for string ensemble was an ode to the city where he has lived since 1965. The work premiered at Klassiek aan de Schelde and was performed by Great Globe Orchestra under the direction of Robert Groslot.
Throughout his career, Glorieux regularly collaborated with dance companies and choreographers. The Royal Ballet of Flanders (now Opera Ballet Vlaanderen), the Dutch National Ballet in The Hague, and the National Ballet in Amsterdam are just some of the production houses with which Glorieux worked. His first collaboration was the expressionistic Movements – Contrasts for Piano, Brass and Percussion(1962) together with the Ballet of the Twentieth Century.
Glorieux also collaborated with pop and jazz artists. His most famous collaboration was perhaps with Michael Jackson. In 1989 Glorieux moved to Los Angeles to record symphonic versions of MJ hits together with Jackson. One of Glorieux's most successful recordings was his albumFrançois Glorieux plays the Beatleson which he improvised over famous Beatles tunes. With the LP he achieved gold status in Japan.
Beyond this, Glorieux was committed to introducing younger generations to different music genres. Since 1977 he has been a chamber music instructor at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. Additionally, Glorieux gave school concerts throughout Europe, America and Japan, was a guest professor at Yale University for a brief period, and conducted numerous masterclasses.
François Glorieux's contributions to classical music were repeatedly recognized and rewarded. He was made an honorary citizen of Kortrijk, Zoersel and Stabroek. In 2012 he received the "Give Soul to Europe" prize awarded by the European Commission. As a crowning achievement, he was made a Knight of the Order of Leopold II in 2015.
