Conductor – Composer – Professor – Jurymember (°Genk 1956) Ludo Claesen studied at the University of Music (LUCA School of Arts) ‘Lemmensinstituut’ in Leuven (B) and at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music  in Antwerp (B). During his studies, he concentrated on percussion, harmony, conterpoint en fuge, composition, choir-and orchestra conducting.

In 1987, he completed with honours a course in orchestra conducting with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra of Maastricht (the Netherlands), given by Jan Eelkema (Den Haag).
As a guestconductor he worked with several European groups : the Limburg Symphony Orchestra Maastricht ; the Flemish Symphony Orchestra ; the Philharmonic Orchestra of Dnepropetrovsk (Ukrain) ; the Philharmonic Chamber orchestra of Köln (Germany) ; the Promenade Orchestra of Amsterdam , the Flemish Radiochoir, Studium Chorale Maastricht , the Bachchoir of Middelburg , the Choir of the Royal Flemish Opera and the Jeju Philharmonic Choir (South Korea).

Ludo Claesen teached for 36 years conterpoint , fuge and chambermusic at the Lemmens-institute in Leuven (LUCA School of Arts) ; he is also the main teacher of choralconducting-and singing at the ZUYD -Academy of Music in Maastricht (NL) and the Conservatory of Hasselt (B).

He also conducts the Cathedralchoir of Hasselt ; Cantilone Borgloon ; the Chamberchoir of Maastricht and the woman’s choir Cappella Concinite of Leuven .
He has guest-conducted or lectured at many concert halls, churches, music festivals (International Choiracademy of Bruges) and conferences in Europe.

In national / international Festivals and Contests he is an esteemed jury member: European Music Festival for the Youth (EMJ -Neerpelt -B); the Netherlands Choirfestival; the International choir contest Flanders; International choir contest ‘Ave verum’ Baden bei Wien (Austria) etc.

He has also manifested himself as a composer.

His compostional career has embraced both large and smale scale choral works, various orchestral and instrumental pieces. His larger choral works, Psalmus 112 (1993) , Missa pro nativitate Europae(1994), Mijmeringen (1998); Missa Ave Virga Jesse (2003); Syntagma (choir and percussionseptet – 2004); Laetatus sum (2007); Ero Cras-cantata (2007); Missa Tertia – male choir and organ (2009); Missa Beata es, Virgo Maria (2010); Cantico del Sole (2015); Cantata for Lent (2017) ; Cantata for Lent II (2018) ; Spring waters – mixed choir and piano (2019) have been performed many times in Belgium and Holland. His “Eurode-fantasy” written for 2 orchestras (wind orchestra and symphonic orchestra) has been created on the World Music Contest Kerkrade-Holland (2005) conducted by himself.
He wrote also compulsory pieces for the European Musicfestival Neerpelt; International Contest Flanders Maasmechelen; Dexia-Classics Brussels 2011; Ave verum-choircontest Baden bei Wien.

Many of his compositions are published by Euprint (Belgium), the Centre of Flemish Music Antwerp (Belgium), PM Europe Publications (B); Annie Bank (Holland), De Haske (Holland), Iduna (Holland), Intrada (Holland), Ascolta (Holland) and Musikal Special-Edition Ferrimontana (Germany)