Pieter Schuermans

Pieter Schuermans (born 1970) is a Belgian composer and conductor.

Composition method and style

The focus of composer Pieter Schuermans is on dealing with the organization of time in music. His artistic research into large-scale entities that are on the tipping point of perception and structure inspires his composition practice. The idea is that these strategies can push the boundaries of assimilating complexity in music. Therefor, it is not the challenge of creating complex music in itself, but all the more, it's the search for complexity in music that can only be as fascinating as far as one can uncover and is able to fully perceive the multiple layering and texturing.

Multidisciplinary is another point of interest in his artistic praxis. He was internationally selected to take part in the course of Creative Dance Artists Trust in Wakefield in the UK, where 8 choreographers and 8 composers collaborated under the direction of Kevin Volans and Jonathan Burrows.

Composition Career

His interactive creation Looking Through Eardrums with dance, juggling and music had over 100 performances on stages and festivals across Europe (for example Hallen van Schaarbeek, Festival van Vlaanderen in Brussel, Bozar), Paris (Centre Wallonie- Bruxelles), Vienna (Concerthouse, Neuer Saal), Brescia (Festa del Circo Contemporaneo), Leipzig (Euroscene), Sweden (for example New Earports conference in Helsingborg, Umeå, Luleå, Stockholm), ... In Belgium, he collaborated with countless ensembles, formations and festivals including Quatuor Danel, Brussels Philharmonic, Kugoni Trio, Ataneres Ensemble, Goeyvaerts String Trio, Collegium Instrumentale Brugense, Transit Festival and Radio Klara.

Conducting career

Pieter Schuermans's career as a conductor has brought him to many places as well, among them the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai, (ZH) where he conducted symphonic concerts with the Limburg Youth Orchestra. One of his latest concerts were two remarkable performances of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff with Amaj Jong Symfonisch in Leuven and Hasselt.

Educational career

Pieter Schuermans is coordinator and head of the composition department, researcher and professor of composition in LUCA School of Arts campus Lemmens in Leuven, Belgium.

As president of ComAV, an association that represents most of Flemish composers, he contributes to projects that stimulate both the creation and performance of music of a wide range of composers and styles. As from 2019, he is a member of the board of the Union of Belgian Composers.

External link

LUCA

Comav

UBC