Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

Biographies of Performers: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Explanation | Acronyms | Missing Biographies | The Sad Corner


Pieter De Praetere (Counter-tenor)

Born: April 18, 1986 - Gent, Belgium

The Belgian counter-tenor, Pieter De Praetere, was born into a musical family. At the age of 10, he started following voice training with Pascal Devreese in Ronse. At the age of 16 he moved to counter-tenor Steve Dugardin in Antwerp. During his studies in Literary Studies at Ghent University, he took lessons from Hilde Coppé. Shortly afterwards he moved to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Lena Lootens.

As a soloist Pieter De Praetere mainly focuses on Baroque music. He is also a much sought-after figure in musical theatre. As a soloist, he has built up a solid repertoire. For example, he performed the solo roles in George Frideric Handel's Messiah, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, and a significant portion of cantatas, motets and oratorios by J.S. Bach. Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi and other contemporaries are also often on the program. He has performed on stages at home and abroad. Among others, Pieter sings with the ensembles Musica Gloria (Directors: Beniamino Paganini & Nele Vertommen), Il Gardellino (Director: Marcel Ponseele), B'Rock, Ensemble BachPlus (Director: Bart Naessens), Apotheosis, Il Fondamento (Director: Paul Dombrecht), etc.

He has been working intensively with Beniamino Paganini and Nele Vertommen of the Musica Gloria ensemble for several years. Together they have already completed several successful European tours. In 2020 they recorded music by A. Vivaldi and Purcell that was well received by the public and in the media. This season they will again be performing together on national and international stages and in the recording studio.

Pieter De Praetere is also active in the opera world. He made his debut at the Bayreuth Baroque Festival in 2021 with B'Rock and Bart Naessens in G.F. Handel's Judas Maccabeus. In the Reaktorhalle in Munich he played the antagonist Pierre in Leon Zmelty’s contemporary opera Invitation to a Beheading, based on the novella by Vladimir Nabokov. With the Orchester Royal de Wallonie he played the role of Farnace in W.A. Mozart's Mitridate, Re di Ponto at the Midsummer Mozartiade Festival. In 2026, Pieter will make his debut with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in the opera Meryem by director Haider Al Timimi.

In addition to his work at home and abroad as a classical singer, Pieter De Praetere is a much sought-after figure in the Flemish theater landscape. His role in the epic folk opera Wij, De Verdronkenen at Wintervuur ​​​​Antwerp, the Oerol Festival (Netherlands), Marstal (Denmark) and Theater aan Zee Ostend did not go unnoticed. With Muziektheater Broder he has been touring Belgium for years with poetic family performances with and about classical music (Franzerl, Babushka, Seaking…)


Sources:
Pieter De Praetere Website & Facebook profile-page
Photo 11: David Van Bouwel
Bits & pieces from other sources
Contributed by
Aryeh Oron (October 2024)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Beniamino Paganini & Nele Vertommen

Alto

[VV-1] (2023, Video): BWV 249/Mvt. 8

Beniamino Paganini & Nele Vertommen

Alto

Member of Musica Gloria:
[CV-1] (2024, Video): BWV 71

Links to other Sites

Pieter De Praetere - Countertenor (Official Website) [French/English]
Pieter De Praetere on Facebook
De Praetere Pieter on Facebook


Biographies of Performers: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Explanation | Acronyms | Missing Biographies | The Sad Corner




 

Back to the Top


Last update: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 16:48