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The Belgian tenor, cellist and conductor, Gert-Jan Verbueken, enrolled at the Stedelijk Muziekacademie "Jozef Van Poppel" in Deurne in 1993. In 1994, he was allowed to take his first steps on the instrument that had stolen his heart, the cello. Griet Van Regenmortel added the basic principles to him, and a year later, in 1995, he continued his studies at the SAMWD in Lier with Geert De Bièvre. His great love for music and ensemble did not stay hidden for long and he soon became part of the orchestras and ensembles within the academy. With various chamber music ensembles he became laureate of the chamber music competition Ottoboni. In 2003 he graduated in cello from the SAMWD with prizes for cello, chamber music and solfège. He also obtained the Medal of the city of Lier and later that year he won a 2nd prize during the National Dexia Classics competition. The SAMWD still continues to play an important role in his life, so he obtained his diploma in piano and studied singing for a few years. Since 2007 he has been associated with the academy as teacher of string ensemble, and initiation cello. During his last years at the academy, he had developed a desire not only to be involved with his cello as a hobby, but to develop the joy he had further by making his hobby his profession. He therefore continued his studies at the Koninklijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatory) in Antwerp in the class of France Springuel, where he obtained his Master of Music degree in cello in 2008. After this, he specialized further to orchestral musician through a postgraduate course with Justus Grimm.
During his studies it was clear to Gert-Jan Verbueken that he had not only been put in the cradle as a performing musician, but that there was also a desire to pass on his passion for music to others. This resulted in obtaining an aggregate diploma at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Antwerp. As a teacher he is attached to the music academies of Lier and Brasschaat, and he is active as a teacher at various music camps. Koninklijk Conservatorium did not sit still during his studies, but was always looking for new challenges and ideas. He attended several master-classes with Vladimir Perlin, Christoph Richter, the Spiegel String Quartet and the Artemis String Quartet.
As a founding member of the Idée-Fixe String Quartet Gert-Jan Verbueken was a guest at festivals in and around Florence (Italy). In 2009 he performed as a soloist in L.v. Beethoven's Triple Concerto with the Bruocsella Symphony Orchestra. Bitten by the orchestral music, he was active as a member of the Filharmonisch Jeugdorkest van Vlaanderen and the Nationaal Jeugdorkest. He played under the baton of Johannes Leertouwer, Ivo Venkov, Alexander Liebreich, Peter Rundel and Ivan Meylemans, among others. He gave his cooperation to Cellopaladio, the Youth & Music Orchestra of Antwerp and the Mechels Kamerorkest. He is also a member of the chamber orchestra La Passione and the chamber orchestra Arc-en-Ciel.
Together with his wife Enide Lebrocquy (soprano) and Arne De Wit (guitar) Gert-Jan Verbueken founded the ensemble TriDvaRas in 2017. Since January 2017, he is conductor of Tehillakoor Antwerpen.
Gert-Jan Verbueken fell in love with a French cello from the 18th century during his studies, presumably by Augustin Chappuy and still plays on this beautiful instrument. |
