DOMINIQUE RAMMAERT
Biographical
reference:
Born in
Brussels to a family of artists, his father being a composer, Dominique RAMMAERT
studied at the conservatory of his birthplace, and graduated in various
disciplines. Prizewinner of the Belgian Foundation for Vocation as conductor, he
specialized in this discipline and studies at the Chigiana Academy (Italy) with
Maestro Franco Ferrara.
He won international prizes as a conductor:
- Price Hans
Harring de Radio Salzburg (Austria) 1972.
- First
Prizewinner of the Competition of Besançon (France) 1973.
- Finalist of
the Cantelli Competition in the Scala of Milan (Italy) 1980.
During these years, he is also a pianist-coach of the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie (TRM) in Brussels, assistant conductor of the choir of the European Communities, lecturer at the Brussels Conservatory.
He directed
mainly:
- the
orchestras of the Belgian Radio-Television (RTBF),
- the
National Orchestra of Belgium (ONB),
- the
Philharmonic Orchestra of Liege,
- the Chamber
Orchestra Eugene ISAYE,
- the New
Chamber Orchestra in Paris,
- the
Symphony orchestra of San Remo (Italy),
- the
Symphony orchestra of the RAI (Radio Milan),
- the
Orchestra of the Theatre of Scala in Milan,
- the
Bach-Kammerorchester of Frankfurt (Germany),
- the
Mozarteum-Orchester of Salzburg (Austria).
In 1981, he
is hired as Kapellmeister in Stadttheater of Luzern (Switzerland.
He directed
several productions of operas, among others: - Verdi's Falstaff, - of
Donizetti's Elixir of Love, Otmar Schoeck's Don Ranudo... He was also a coach to
baritone Walter Berry.
Back in
Belgium, he perfected the study of orchestration with composer Paul Baudouin
Michel, in the Conservatory of Mons. He got involved with the non-governmental
organization (N.O.G.) "A.T.D. Quart
Monde" (ATD Fourth World ), and he organized concerts in various popular
districts of Brussels. At that time, he created "the choral society of the House
of Knowledge", which he brought to Royal Theatre de la Monnaie (TRM) in 1998;
the CD "Résonances" is a reminder of that performance.
He published
a text in the review "Fourth World" in 1995: Resonance in any man. The
"Journey in operas", in collaboration with Bernard Foccroulle (Director of the
TRM), allowed poor families of Fourth World to discover a.o. A.Berg's
Wozzeck, Moussorgski's Khovantchina, Rossini's
Cenerentola.
Inspired by
the size and the universal reality of the poor people, he wrote an
autobiographical scenario which lead to a theatrical creation entitled "The
Ambassadors of Shade", performed at Theatre National, within the framework of
"Brussels 2000" (European City of Culture).
Project Manager at
International Federation of Music Hope (F.I.M.E.) since September 2003, for the
preparation and the organization of a round of the O.P.P. (Orchestra For Peace)
during the season 2004-2005 in Belgium.
December 7, 2004, the OPP
played in ANTWERP in Church St-Paulus.
The program included Near Eastern works. After intermission, the Fourth Symphony of Beethoven in major B flat.
The musical direction was shared between Dominique RAMMAERT and a conductor from the Middle East. The OPP performed also in Brussels and Mons (Belgium), as well as in France (2005).