Joris Blanckaert

Joris Blanckaert was born in Lokeren on January 14, 1976. After studying to become a civil engineer with specializations in probabilistic methods and risk analysis, Blanckaert enrolled at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent in 2005. He studied jazz accordion with Rony Verbiest and earned a master’s degree in contemporary composition with Frank Nuyts (2011).

In addition to various collaborative projects with ensembles such as Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, Spectra Ensemble, Emanon, Maeterlinck Quartet, Arsis4 and various soloists, Blanckaert was affiliated with the popular music ensembles bOOmfanfare (2001-2015) and bal des boiteux (2001-2008), with which he released a number of albums. Since 2008, he has been the artistic director of the artists’ collective Muzi a Zeny, where he has collaborated with soprano Elise Caluwaerts, cellist Benjamin Glorieux, choreographer NelleHens and playwright Wannes Gyselinck, among others. In 2009, Blanckaert began conducting research into the real-time interaction between soloist, computer and audience, based on spectral theory and statistics, with the support of the nOna arts center. Another research project on eye-ear coordination in collaboration with choreographer/dancer Nelle Hens resulted in performances under the title My Body, My Instrument.

Collaboration with other artists and musicians is central to Joris Blanckaert’s work. For example, the chamber opera “The Wandering Womb” and the lecture-performance “Tips & Tricks” were created in close collaboration with Wannes Gyselinck. In 2015, Blanckaert received the Provincial Prize for music from the province of East Flanders for his opera elle est moi und töte mich. In 2019, the performance are we not drawn onward to new era won the Edinburgh Fringe First Award. From 2016 to 2020, he was composer in residence at De Bijloke.