François, Gert (B)

Gert François studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Ghent, where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Percussion and Chamber Music. He later pursued advanced training through masterclasses with Ruud Wiener (vibraphone) and Adama Dramé (African percussion). Since 1987, he has been the head professor of percussion at the Brussels Royal Conservatoire. Gert has given masterclasses at Buffalo University (USA), the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, and coaches the percussion sections in several youth orchestras.

In addition to his teaching career, Gert has gained extensive orchestral experience. He is timpanist and section leader of the percussion section in the Flemish Radio Orchestra. He has performed with many renowned ensembles and orchestras including New Symfonietta Amsterdam and the Beethoven Academy, touring across Europe, the United States, and Latin America. In October 2000, he toured the U.S. with flautist Lieve Schuermans, with whom he forms a flute-percussion duo. He also performs in a violin-percussion duo with Yuki Hori.

As a soloist, he premiered “Raga I” by Wim Henderickx and “Sketches” by Vinko Globokar at the Festival of Flanders alongside V. Globokar and M. Bashir. Gert has performed in percussion spectacles with masters such as Trillok Gurtu, Doudou N’Daye Rose, Mamady Keita, and Han Bennink. He also participated in “Confrontations” by Wim Henderickx, a project featuring Adama Dramé that toured through Europe and Africa and was released on CD (2003–2004).

He has performed as a soloist under the baton of K. Montgomery, B. Engeset, J. Latham-Koenig, Tan Dun, James McMillan, and Grant Llewellyn. In 1999, he released a CD with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders featuring “Raga I” for solo percussion and orchestra. In 2001, a CD of Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion was released with Jan Michiels, Inge Spinette, and Bart Quartier. He also gave the first Norwegian performance of Tan Dun’s “Water Concerto” and the Belgian premiere of James McMillan’s “Veni Veni Emmanuel.”