Philippe Malfeyt, after experimenting with blues, jazz and rock music, took up the classical guitar at the conservatory of Brussels. However, his special interest in early music made him resolutely choose the lute. In 1983 he earned a final degree for early music at the Royal College of Music in London. Ever since PhilippeMalfeyt has been applying himself to the playing of a wide range of plucked instruments: Renaissance and baroque lute, archlute, theorbo, ud, colascione (the European version of the Eastern long-necked lute), the baroque guitar, and the cittern. In addition to working as a soloist he is very active in duo and trio formations, with among others Katelijne Van Laethem, flautist Patrick Beuckels, harpist Hannelore De Vaere, and flamenco guitarist Michel Gillain. He is often asked as a continuo player, e.g. by La Pastorella, Il Fondamento, and I Justiniani. He also likes to play medieval music with Rans, Dousmal, and the French ensemble Millenarium. And last but not least, Philippe Malfeyt tries to integrate the lute into other musical genres and modes, e.g. with the trio Luthomania, which confronts Arabic, Chinese and Western culture in compositions and improvisations of its own.