He was just 91 when he passed away on Friday night, September 22. The performances he gave in a limited circle this summer still resonate and bear out his motto "A life for music". The first time he walked the red carpet was rather more down-to-earth: at the age of five as 'Cupido' he first won a beauty pageant for children in Blankenberge.
From the Kortrijk Conservatory, which later, after the Second World War, would be built on the site of his parents' house, his path quickly leads to the Ghent Royal Music Conservatory. There his performance of the little-known Piano Concerto by Arthur Bliss earns him his higher diploma with maximum points and the congratulations of the jury.
His steep rise at home and abroad culminated in the many performances for "Youth and Music", where he set halls and schools on fire with his Beatles improvisations. A solid repertoire took him to every corner of Spain, to Germany and Vienna in the wake of his great, too quickly departed mentor, André Cluytens, to the U.S., where New York inspired him to compose the grand orchestral work "Manhattan".
François played in icy conditions, with the Mormons, but also in the private palace of the Shah of Persia to inaugurate the brand-new Bechstein of Empress Farah Diba. He toured Canada, which was keen on his "concert-dialogues". He crossed South America and went on tour with the Stan Kenton Orchestra.
Even when the piano failed to arrive at the castle of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne through a misunderstanding, he captivated audiences from everywhere with his unmatched gift for storytelling. And when the orchestra went on strike in Antwerp, a spirited talk show saved the day.
Japan was wild about him and he about Japan... and about Michael Jackson. Mutual admiration quickly made them lifelong friends. They met twice. Then "She is out of my life" changed to "He is out of my life".
François still had a long way to go. He became the pride of Antwerp, Schoten, Stabroek, Zoersel and again Antwerp, 't Eilandje. And even a fifth floor couldn't prevent the piano from coming along. A glorious celebration at Amuz for his 90th birthday, an active summer, contacts with Norway to perform his works made his passing all the more surprising.
In this "mourir en beauté" comes the comforting thought that he was able to enjoy a whole summer. For if anyone was a sun worshipper, it was François. And an animal lover, who set aside his urge to find the sun and appreciation in Spain that he missed here "for the sake of the cats"...
ed. note: Arlette Hellemans had a long and very close bond, a deep friendship with François Glorieux. For her, the passing of 'her François' means a reflection on rich memories that go beyond the musical. We hope that the biography she wrote about him can be completed and find a place in better bookstores. An extensive In Memoriam in Klassiek Centraal by Helena Gaudeus can be read here.