Marcel De Jonghe was born on 9 May 1943. He studied solfège, piano, music history, chamber music, harmony and counterpoint at the music academy in Anderlecht (Brussels), earning special prizes (regeringsmedailles) for piano with highest distinction, and for chamber music with distinction. De Jonghe was also a Pro Civitate prize winner. He then, however, entered teacher’s school, resulting in a diploma for teaching Germanic languages. He went on to study at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, receiving first prizes in solfège, harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition. His most influential teachers were J. Brouwers, P. Cabus, J. Louël and V. Legley.

From 1972 until 2005 De Jonghe has been the director of the municipal Music Academy in Dilbeek. He is also a theory teacher at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. In 1979, his composition Introspection 1 was selected as the compulsory work for the National Competition of the Gemeentekrediet (Bank) for piano. In 1992 there followed E-motions for string instruments, in 1999 Rainbow for guitar and in 2003 Trimoods for wind instruments. De Jonghe’s piano work Introspection 2 was selected in 1989 as the compulsory work for a competition organised by the music academies of the French Community of Belgium. In 1990, the Youth and Music Orchestra of Antwerp commissioned him to write Obstinatio 1. Works by De Jonghe have been played in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, the former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Denmark and the United States.

Selective bibliography
- M. DE JONGHE, A composer's testimony (CD), publ. by Gemeente Dilbeek, 1992

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