Internationally recognized composer of -mainly- orchestral music, in which he has been developing a personal musical language by exploiting the rich multiplicity of sound.
“Never abstract or cerebral, Luc Brewaeys’s music is above all a means of communication turned towards the future.” (Harry Halbreich)

"Living on the border of Roman and German culture, my music blends the spectral technique and refined orchestration of the first and the gestures and lyricism of the second. Having studied in Siena, I developed a great love for Italian culture, hence the choice of Italian authors for the texts for my vocal works. My music is very intuitive within the frame of highly constructed forms." (Luc Brewaeys)

Luc Brewaeys was born in Mortsel on 25 August 1959. He studied composition at the Brussels Conservatory with André Laporte, also undertaking studies in piano and conducting. In addition he participated in summer courses with Franco Donatoni (Siena) and Brian Ferneyhough (Darmstadt, 1982), while coming into contact with Tristan Murail (from 1982) and Iannis Xenakis (Paris, 1980-84). He was recognised from early in his career with numerous prestigious international composition prizes. He was composer in residence at deSingel concert hall in Antwerp for the 1988-89 season, guest composer in 1989 for the fourth edition of the Week for Contemporary Music at the Ghent conservatory, and from 1991 to 1992 he was composer in residence of the city of Saint-Nazaire. Since 1985 he has worked as a sound engineer at the Flemish Radio (VRT). From 1991 to 1994 he was a guest teacher in analysis of contemporary computer and electronic music at the Brussels conservatory. From 1998 to 2000 he taught composition and orchestration at the conservatory in Ghent. In 1999 he received the Blanlin-Evrart Culture Prize from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Luc Brewaeys has been commissioned to compose works for such ensembles as Ictus, the Beethoven Academie, the Ensemble Itinéraire, Lukas Foss, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders and Royal Theatre of the Monnaie. During the season 2003-2004 he was composer-in-residence at BOZAR (Brussels).

In december 2015, Luc Brewaeys passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Selective bibliography:

- M. BEIRENS, Luc Brewaeys, asceet en veeldoener, in Muziek en Woord, nr. 336, 2002, p. 12
- M. BEIRENS, Oedipale dramatiek bij Brewaeys. Creatie van Jocasta, in Contra., jg. 3, nr. 4, 2004, p. 41-42
- G. DEFEVER, Luc Brewaeys in grote vorm, in Muziek en Woord, nr. 354, 2004, p.16-17
- M. DELAERE, Boem-Paukenslag, in Nieuwe Muziek in Vlaanderen, 1997, p.166-171
- H. HALBREICH, Les Oeuvres pour Orchestre de Luc Brewaeys, cd-boekje, CYP 2609, 1998
- Y. KNOCKAERT, Luc Brewaeys' Talisker, in Apollo en de python - Muziekprogramma Antwerpen '93, Antwerpen, 1993, p.50-51
- Y. KNOCKAERT, Symfonische eensgezindheid. De symfonie in het oeuvre van Brewaeys, Buckinx, Swerts en Van Hove. in Contra. jg. 3, nr. 3, 2004, p. 46-48.
- S. VAN EYCKEN, Il fiume del tempo passava. Een traject doorheen de muziek van Luc Brewaeys, in Vlaanderen, 1, 1998, p.194
- S. VAN EYCKEN, Brewaeys Luc: Bowmore (1995), in Contemporary Music in Flanders I Flemish String Quartets since 1950, uitg. dr. M. Delaere en J. Compeers, 2004, p. 25-26

2007 Première of his first opera "L’uomo Dal Fiore In Bocca" at the National Opera La Monnaie.

1998 - 2000 Professor of composition at the Conservatory in Ghent.

1993 "Talisker" was the official opener of Antwerp Cultural Capital of Europe in the Great Hall of its Central Station; approximately 16.000 people attended the 4 performances.

1991 Premio di Città di Trieste for "Symphony n° 3 - Hommage".

Key works

SYMPHONY N° 8 (2004-08) large orchestra with 5 solo horns.

CARDHU (2008) for 8 players.

PAINTED PYRAMIDS (2006-08) for piano with 5 players and live-electronics.

L’UOMO DAL FIORE IN BOCCA (2006) opera in one act after Pirandello.

PRELUDES (2002-05) Recomposition for orchestra of the two books of Preludes for piano by Claude Debussy.

SYMPHONY N° 6 (2000) for orchestra and live-electronics.

OBAN (1996) for 9 players.

LAPHROAIG (SYMPHONYN° 5) (1993) for large orchestra with two conductors and live-electronics.

NON LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA(1990) for soprano and saxophone(s) solo with orchestra (T: Dino Buzzati).

SYMPHONY N° 2 (1987) for large orchestra.

Scores: www.lucbrewaeys.com