SNYERS, Félix

Born in 1940, Félix Snyers graduated from the Brussels’s Royal Academy of Music, where he obtained the first prizes in solfeggio, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, organ, as well as the Alphonse Mailly Prize.

As a concertist, he performed in Belgium, Germany and England, giving more than 750 concerts. As a composer, he created more than 165 works among which : one symphony, one concerto for organ and orchestra, four cantatas, one concertino for violin and orchestra, sonatas, chamber music, melodies, …

Among his works, one must distinguish the Sonatine pour piano, opus 63 (Sonatine for piano) rewarded by the European Superior Council for Arts and Aesthetics, and the Concertino pour 2 pianos, opus 30 (Concertino for 2 pianos), written for the Biennale of Belgian Music organized by the Belgian National Television Station RTBF in 1972.

In 1984 his Esquisse Concertante pour Orgue (Concerting Sketch for Organ) was imposed for the final contests in all schools of music of the French-speaking Community of Belgium, as well as his Cappriccio pour Clarinette et Piano (Cappriccio for Clarinet and Piano) in 1990.
In 1992 he was requested to compose the obligatory piece for the National Contest of the Credit Communal. He then wrote Classic. Hymn from Antwerp for 4 wind-instruments and organ was written for the festival of « Antwerp, cultural capital of Europe ».

The Union of the Belgian Composers awarded Félix Snyers in 1992 with the Fuga Trophy for his constant action in favor of the Belgian contemporary music.
He wrote the cycle of melodies Les chemins de cristal (The Crystal Paths) in1995, and La Légende du Château du Karreveld, opus 140 (The Legend of the Karreveld Castle) for narrators, soli, choirs, solo danser, figurants and orchestra was performed on March the first, 1996.
Another cycle of melodies, opus 145, in form of a cantata for baritone and piano on texts from Lucie Spède was created in 1997.

Teacher since 1960, he went up for the examination for the post of headmaster of the Molenbeek-St-Jean’s school of music and arts of speaking and obtained it in 1977.
Félix Snyers is the artistic manager of l’Heure Musicale (the Musical Hour) at the City Hall of Molenbeek-St-Jean, editor of the periodical Fuga of the Union of the Belgian Composers, president of the Bachverein in Belgium and Knight of the Order of the Crown.

[English translation by Danielle Baas, © CeBeDeM]

Rue de l'Ourthe 25 // 1080 Brussels // Belgium

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