short bio (Dutch, English)
Ward De Jonghe (°1990) is a composer and chemistry teacher based in Ghent, Belgium. He was introduced to classical composition by Marc Maes, was taught to write in renaissance and baroque styles by Marc Masson and learned various modern compositional techniques from Simon Depoorter. In 2019, Ward started the master in Composition with Daan Janssens at the royal conservatory of Ghent, which he finished magna cum laude in 2022.
He took part in master classes and workshops with Pierluigi Billone, Isabel Mundry, Dai Fujikura, Fritz Hauser, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Arditti Quartet and Jack Quartet.
As experience determines one’s personality, Ward aims to write music which is consciously connected to repertoire he has performed or studied, to his own pieces, or to other works of art or literature which affected him. He searches for an equilibrium between an intuitive and rational approach, similar to the balance of being a scientist and musician.
©Wouter Maeckelberghe
Ward’s pieces have been performed by Akhtamar Quartet, Anemos Saxophone Quartet, Continuo, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Goggles, Koi Collective, Nemø ensemble, Goggles and Scarbo Quartet at festivals as Ars Musica (Brussels), isaFestival (Vienna) and Transit (Leuven). Klara and Kunstenpunt included his fuga a 4 voci on the CD Fingerprints#4 (2022).
In 2020, he was selected a winner of the SOV Composers’ Academy, which resulted in the creation of the orchestral piece Ansatz. His first string quartet was selected for the ISCM World Music Days in Shanghai (2021), which were unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic.
In 2023, his song cycle Wunderhorn made it into the finals at the Rhonefestival für Liedkunst, and he won first prize with σιδήρειος at Concours de composition Andrée Charlier.
©Paul D’Eer
Before pursuing composition, Ward studied piano with Marc Gerain and Elly Deflo in the music schools of Lede and Ghent, and with Daan Vandewalle at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. In 2017, he obtained his bachelor degree in Classical Music Performance magna cum laude.
He graduated summa cum laude with a master degree in Music Theory, in 2019, after studying harmony, counterpoint and fugue with Marc Masson, and conducting with Johan Duijck.
As a performer, Ward is connected to Nemø ensemble with which he performed at festivals such as Articulate, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, En Avant Mars and Gentsche Festspiele.
He has been active as keyboard, percussion and trombone player in symphonic orchestras Jong Symfonisch Gent, Gents Universitair Symfonisch Orkest and Continuo, the latter of which he also performed Beethoven’s third piano concerto with.
As a guest musician, he has played with Graindelavoix, Helicon kamerkoor, Hermes ensemble, Joeri Chipsvingers, and others.
This biographical overview would not be complete without mentioning a connection with folk music, having played diatonic accordion. Events like Ethno Sweden were extremely inspiring to open the ears for all kinds of music from around the globe, and to create something new, built from these vast resources.
Ward obtained a Master of Science in Chemistry (2013) and teacher’s degree (2014) and is an employee of Ghent University. He has been part of the teaching staff of the Department of Chemistry since 2013 and teaches problem solving classes and lab exercises in various undergraduate-level courses in general and physical chemistry.