Pioneer of Timbre and Imagination
Time shows no mercy, it has been ten years since Luc Brewaeys was taken from us on December 18 after a long illness. No one could crack him, unfortunately nature could and far too soon. Luc celebrated Life in his particularly idiosyncratic way. He would not agree with a commemoration year where too many tears flow. He would celebrate it himself, with his broad infectious laugh and he would offer everyone a glass of the best whisky. Because oh yes, Luc not only knew everything, but really absolutely everything about music, he also knew much about that Scottish divine drink and about cigars.Luc Brewaeys (1959–2015) was a remarkable, idiosyncratic, particularly colorful composer and person with international and far too little national recognition. His music is characterized by a profound exploration of timbre, structure and space. Spectral music was undeniably his thing which he perfected. Luc did more than compose, he breathed music, he ate music, he drank music. He spoke about it enthusiastically and also wrote about it. He thus offered himself spontaneously as a voluntary collaborator, the very first one at that!, of Klassiek Centraal. It was late December 2008. Later he would make an unforgettable impression at my home when we discussed far more than (at the time still temporarily) 'my' website. He and no one else knew how to persuade me to open an ear to 'contemporary' classical music "I also find that a misconception with a lot of rubbish in it, oh dear, still not!" and try to understand it.
His Early Years and Musical Training
Luc Brewaeys was born on August 25, 1959 in Mortsel. His higher musical education began at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he studied composition with André Laporte. His quest for new sound worlds led him to Italy, where he took lessons with Franco Donatoni in Siena. In Darmstadt he came into contact with Brian Ferneyhough, an important figure in contemporary music. From 1980 to 1984 he maintained intensive contacts with Iannis Xenakis in Paris, which further enriched his musical language.
Besides his composition studies, Brewaeys was also active as a pianist, conductor and sound technician at the VRT. This versatility enabled him to bring his musical ideas to life both in the studio and on stage. How could it be otherwise that a man with perfect pitch, an extremely rare musical memory and great genius on more than just a musical level, would give himself so completely? He had to, he could not do otherwise. And yet such a person falls away too soon or perhaps not? Was he, like other great musical geniuses who died young, in some way spiritually exhausted as we ordinary mortals cannot perceive and perhaps never can, even though he claimed to be full of ideas?
Breakthrough and International Recognition
In 1985 Brewaeys won the European Competition for Young Composers with his First Symphony, titled ".., e poi c'era ...". The following year he received the first prize from UNESCO for youth composers. These early successes established his name within the international music world. His Second Symphony, "Komm! Hebe dich...", premiered in 1987 and was praised for its complex structure and rich sound palette. In the years that followed, Brewaeys wrote a series of orchestral works that further strengthened his reputation as a master of contemporary symphony. Works such as Talisker (1993) and Laphroaig – Symphony No. 5 (1993) showed his ability to combine traditional forms with innovative sound concepts. All that without even mentioning 'Fasten seat belts'… That latter is a legend in itself and the title of this orchestral work immediately became the title of a book that was launched at the start of the celebration year – not a commemoration year, oh no – . More about that book in our book reviews section.
Talisker is whisky and also a composition...
The orchestra, for Luc, was not merely a collection of instruments, but an extensive sound laboratory that could be expanded and adapted in all possible and impossible ways and that could transcend the known orchestral sounds to the furthest reaches. He experimented with texture, dynamics and space and created compositions that were both visually and aurally impressive. Electronics were never far away. He probed the limits of the human ear. Avant-gardism and other peculiarities he knew how to cast into forms that were in some way a reflection of his own essence.
His work Talisker is an example of his innovative approach, where he used the orchestra to create a rich, layered sound world. It was the opening work of Antwerp '93 (European Capital of Culture) in the beautiful Antwerp station building. Yes, of course!, "Talisker, that's whisky again. Haha, that's another one of those tasty little things and uhhm, there's nothing more to read into that". We immediately learn that you must savor single malt and look, that is exactly what you must do with Luc's music. Absolutely not too much, in moderation, limited and taste, savor, let yourself be overwhelmed and inspired. You have to try to like it or learn to enjoy it, of course. Right Luc?
In 2005, Brewaeys began re-orchestrating Claude Debussy's Préludes. This ambition led to two books of orchestrations, which were performed by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Daniele Callegari. These works were praised for their respectful yet innovative approach to the original piano work. It is even the case that Luc Brewaeys greatly enhanced the quality of the original works, yet another proof of his versatility and genius. He completed the piano pieces, as it were, by turning them into magnificent orchestral works. He thereby proved himself absolutely greater than Debussy.
Opera, illness and late works
In 2007, Brewaeys completed his first and only opera, L'uomo dal fiore in bocca, based on the play by Luigi Pirandello. The opera premiered at De Munt in Brussel and was praised for its intense drama and musical depth. The work tells the story of a man suffering from oral and throat cancer and his conversations with a chance passerby. A week after the premiere, Luc learned that he was afflicted with the same cancer that would prove fatal to him. Meanwhile, he maintained his sense of humor by saying: "I have a lot of tumor"… He laughed the disease away.
In the last years of his life, Brewaeys continued composing despite his illness. Works such as Eppur si muove (2014) and On a day (2015) testify to his continued search for new musical expression. His Eighth Symphony remained incomplete, but the fragments that have been preserved offer insight into his final musical ideas. It is the composer Annelies Van Parys who has the honor of completing the work, or rather perfecting it in a way that Luc would certainly appreciate. It is difficult to imagine anyone who could do it better than Annelies.
Queen Elisabeth Competition rejects his composition commission
For the Singing edition of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2011, he was assigned the composition commission. For this, Luc composed 'Speechless Song', an example of contemporary yet classical work, unique in its kind and where the singer's talent comes to the fore in all its colors. However, the jury found the work "too difficult to study in a short time". It was the only QEC without an imposed work. Imagine. It was a pure scandal, a real shame for the QEC. Rightly, Luc Brewaeys was deeply offended. We talked about it, emailed and called for a long time, and I still regret that we did not have it performed at the Golden Labels Award ceremony that year, even though you could not be there, best Luc... The 'too difficult work' has since been performed many times in countless halls large and small, and at the celebration of the jubilee year, soprano Lieselot De Wilde brought it exactly as Luc would have wanted to hear it. It is not a simple work, not an easy melodic something, it is a summary of 1,000 years of art song with an opening to what else may come. And yes, for a competition that wants to be the best in the world, this work is precisely the most brilliant imposed work conceivable.
Professor of composition - finally (but not in Flanders...)
The articulate polyglot was overjoyed when he was finally appointed professor of composition at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Unfortunately, his illness struck mercilessly, forcing him to give up far too soon. It would have been the crown on his, regrettably incomplete, work as an exceptional teacher. Previously, he taught at the Ghent Conservatory from 1998 to 2000. He was a guest lecturer in many countries including Canada, the Netherlands, Croatia, Bulgaria, and others, and gave masterclasses. For his students, actually for everyone, Luc was a driven fellow full of clever, sometimes dark humor that was so typical of him and gave the lessons an extra appeal.
Luc and Klassiek Centraal
He worked actively on it for a short time earlier due to his illness, but he remained intensely involved from nearby. He received ample recognition for this. Wim Henderickx (1962-2022) and Lucrèce Maeckelberg handed him the certificate of editor-in-chief of Klassiek Centraal (2011) at home, as he was too ill to receive it at the celebration of Five Years Klassiek Centraal at the city hall of Brussel. His involvement with Klassiek Centraal was an extension of his passion for music and his desire to give contemporary music a platform. He strongly believed in the power of communication and documentation to increase appreciation for new music, and he wanted to add an extra dimension to this through our web magazine.Luc Brewaeys Foundation with jubilee year
Luc Brewaeys passed away on 18 December 2015, but his musical legacy lives on. The Luc Brewaeys Foundation plays an active role in preserving and promoting his oeuvre and organizes events and performances in memory of the composer. 2026 will be a year full of activities celebrating the composer. At the official presentation of the celebration year that took place on 3 November '25 in the foyer of the Antwerp opera house with a tasteful speech by his childhood friend Jan Raes – now the director of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen – and by Chantal Pattyn, network manager of Klara, we learned that the broadcaster will record and broadcast all concerts within the framework of the celebration. 18 December 2025, the day marking exactly ten years since Luc's death, will see the broadcaster devote four hours, in the afternoon broadcast, to focusing on Luc Brewaeys and broadcasting only his works.Culture Minister Caroline Gennez admitted she had not known Luc, but her husband did know him and certainly appreciated his music. In a speech rich with beautiful words, she honored not only the composer, the artist, but above all the human being he was and, despite budget cuts, she expressed her delight at having allocated a project subsidy for this special celebration year. Maarten Beirens provided an overview of what the celebration year has in store and on the soprano saxophone Maarten Vergauwen performed the ear-stretching 'Dirge for Dina'. Melissa Portaels from Matrix, the Centre for New Music, provided some background information about the memorial book or thank-you book.
Luc's widow, musicologist Birgit Van Cleemput, received the first copies of the complete edition of Luc's compositions from Davo van Peursen, director of publisher Donemus.
Humor
Let's conclude with a typical Luc moment: "There aren't many jokes about composers – sadly – but there is one, it's a play on words and it actually only works in Dutch, which is funny, because most jokes and wordplay don't work that well in Dutch, but this one does and in no other language. So two composers meet each other. One says to the other 'Hello, how are you?', to which the other replies: 'Ah I can't complain, you're not doing any differently either'.
Viewing and listening tips
To gain a deeper insight into the work and personality of Luc Brewaeys, here are some recommended videos. They offer valuable supplementary material for anyone wanting to know more about the life and work of Luc Brewaeys.
- Canvas Klassiek: Luc Brewaeys. Straight
A compelling TV portrait that offers a glimpse into Brewaeys' creative process.
- The Whisky Tour - A tribute to Luc Brewaeys
A documentary that explores his "whisky cycle" and shows performances of his works.
- L'uomo dal fiore in bocca – Excerpt from the opera
A fragment from his only opera, performed by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
- Talisker – Live performance
A performance of his orchestral work Talisker, which illustrates his innovative approach to sound.
