LECLERC, Michel

Michel Leclerc was born in Liège on 17 March 1914. He was only four when he started his first music lessons, first instructed by his grand-uncle, and later by his own father.

In 1925, he joined the Royal Music Conservatory of Liège where he completed his studies in violin and musical writing.

He was awarded a prize for Musical Theory in 1928, a prize for Harmony in 1930, a prize for Violin in 1931, a prize for Chamber Music in 1932, a Master Degree as well as the “Médaille de Vermeil” for violin in 1933 and a second prix for Fugue in 1934. Admitted to senior violin class at the National Conservatory of Paris in 1934, he became first violin at Paris Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Monteux. Upon his return to Belgium in 1935, ha has remained violinist for over 11 years at the I.N.R. Orchestra conducted by Désiré Defaux, Franz André, Théo Dejoncker and Daniel Sternefeld. As an instrumentalist, he gave several solo concerts whether in recital or with an orchestra. He was very active chambrist. He has been a member of various ensemble, including the “la Duchesse de Vendôme Quartet”, “Belgium Instrumental Quintet“, “Ad Artem Quartet” and the “Quartet of Liège”, until the death of Jean Rogister. From 1946 to 1976, he taught Chamber Music at the Conservatory of Liège and Harmony at the Music Academy of Amay. As of 1949, Michel Leclerc has been music programme planner and later producer at the RTB Centre in Liège.

Following his retirement, Michel Leclerc dedicated himself solely to composition. His large musical production embraced a diverse range of fields including instrumental, orchestral and vocal.

Michel Leclerc always asserted he did not belong to any movement and often defined himself as a typically Walloon, independent, humorist, sensitive, tender but meanwhile rebellious impressionist. It is a fact that he always wrote with total freedom and felt close to any sincere composers, irrespective of their means of expression or techniques. In contrast, he asserted that he felt unfamiliar to those composers who tried to reproduce noise ersatz by ignoring sensibility and poetry.

His orchestration was airy and forceful, spicy but lacking exaggeration in strident sounds, and revealed frank style and language in a neat and precise way.

Michel Leclerc retreated in Saint-Charles convalescent home located in Landenne-sur-Meuse, between Namur and Huy. He passed away in Waremme on 20 September 1995.

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