Norbert Goddaer

Norbert Goddaer was born on 26 January 1933 in Kortrijk. Besides his diploma in General Music Education (first grade), he earned 8 first prizes at the Royal Music Conservatory in Ghent (in solfège, transposition, clarinet, saxophone, chamber music, harmony, counterpoint and fugue). Goddaer studied composition with Jan De Cadt. In the 1950s he was a member of the “Hot Club van België”, a jazz club which won first prize in the Modern Jazz section at the 1955 International Jazz Competition, an event which the group organised. Goddaer is still known as a fervent jazz fan. He taught at the Music Academy in Harelbeke, the Municipal Conservatory in Kortrijk and the Royal Conservatory in Ghent. In the 1979-1980 academic year, Goddaer was appointed State Inspector of secondary and post-secondary music education, but subsequently opted for the position of director of the Music Academy in Wetteren, at the same time teaching harmony at the conservatory in Ghent. He also made arrangements for the Belgian Radio Choir and was guest conductor of the group. He produced a number of collections of harmony, counterpoint and fugue exercises, as well as notation lessons, rhythmic studies and exam lessons. Afterwards, Goddaer continued writing vocal, instrumental and digital music.

He passed away in February 2019.