Our compatriot Jacqueline Fontyn (° 1930) was born in Antwerpen. Shortly after her fifth birthday, she receives daily piano lessons from the excellent Russian pedagogue Ignace Bolotine, who also stimulates her interest and talent for improvisation. Her first composition, a menuet alla Boccherini, she writes down at age 6. At nine years old, she already begins to write her own piano works. At age 15, she decides to become a composer.
She studies music theory, orchestration and composition with Marcel Quinet. She completes her studies in Paris with Max Deutsch, who introduces her to the world of Schoenberg.
In 1956 she takes a course in orchestral conducting in the class of Hans Swarowsky, at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien.
From 1963 to 1970 she teaches music theory at the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Antwerpen, and then until 1990 is professor of composition at the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel. At the same time, she is a much sought-after guest lecturer at various universities and conservatories in Europe (Germany, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland), the United States of America (from New York to San Francisco), Israel, Egypt, Asia (China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan) and New Zealand.
Jacqueline Fontyn received several honors, including the "Oscar Espla" prize in Spain and the "Arthur Honegger" prize from the Fondation de France. She was also commissioned to compose the required concerto for violin and orchestra for the finale of the "Internationale Muziekwedstrijd Koningin Elisabeth" in 1976, as well as two works for the "Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress" in Washington.
Since 2006, a large part of her manuscripts has been included in the Library of Congress. In 2014, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België acquired the majority of the manuscripts that remained in the country.
Jacqueline Fontyn is a member of the Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België and in recognition of her artistic merits, she was granted the title of Baroness by the King in 1993.
Trios
Trio Spilliaert (Jean-Samuel Bez, Guillaume Lagravière, Gauvain de Morant)
Apolline Degoutte, Raphael Béreau et Karel Coninx
1 CD Cybele
To discover (or rediscover) Jacqueline Fontyn...
In an era where brilliant female composers seem to fall from the sky, this CD brings genuine euphoria. The recording encourages us to discover (or rediscover) Jacqueline Fontyn, with six works between 1956 — "last use of classical forms" — and 2013 being performed. The Trio Spilliaert takes the stage here with two piano trios in classical instrumentation (violin, cello, piano) plus three other trios each featuring a role for flute, guitar and viola. The exceptional level of the performers, their commitment, their joy in playing are in service of music that overflows with imagination. We are dealing here with a completely controlled compositional style that reveals both erudition and freedom, and can be both concise and light-footed. This perfect and contemporary art finds ideal interpreters. (Martine D. Mergeay)