Serge Schoonbroodt
Serge Schoonbroodt was born in 1971 in Eupen in the German-speaking community of Belgium. He is the oldest son of the organist Hubert Schoonbroodt (1941-1992) and, following the traces of his father, chooses music as companion of life.
After a 1st Price for organ at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels in 1992, he enters the choir of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris where he benefits of the upper training of singing techniques and is active within the adults’ choir or as a soloist.
His organist’s career starts in 1996 with a first CD recorded at the historical Parisot organ of Notre-Dame de Guibray at Falaise (Normandy), with works by Jacques Boyvin. This CD is a sort of a prelude to a long series dedicated to the French baroque masters played on historical organs of the utmost importance: Cathedrals of Poitiers, Sarlat, Montauban, Abbey church of Mouzon, Abbey of Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache, chur- ches of Bolbec, Périgueux, for prestigious quality-labels (Tempéraments, Aeolus, Assai) where Schoonbroodt gives a very personal vision of musics of the 16th and 17th centuries, influenced by emotional meetings, notably with Francine Lancelot, papissa of the baroque dance who makes understand to him in some steps and words the importance of dance in the music for organ of the French masters, or with Jacques Merlet, former producer for France Musiques, who encourages him to blend organ stops like a cook who invents recipes. His discography also counts other composers such as Bach, Buxtehude, Bruhns, Sweelinck or Fischer...
He gives numerous recitals across Europe (Musical Academies of Saintes, or the Festival of Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache) and in South America.
Numerous articles were dedicated to him in the press, as well as flattering reviews of his recordings (Le Monde, Le Monde de la Musique, Diapason, Répertoire, Classica, Goldberg, Tétu, Crescendo, Die Zeit, Der Tagesspiegel, Early Music Review, La Libre Belgique, Le Soir, Republica, El Comercio), not to forget numerous programs for radio and television in Europe and South America.
In 2006 and 2007 Serge Schoonbroodt directed a big music festival in Peru in order to offer cultural events to the underprivileged populations! For two years, the International Music Festival of Arequipa has been a huge success.
Serge Schoonbroodt is stipendiary of the Foundation Spes (www.spes.be) and permanent member of the jury of the Fund Hubert Schoonbroodt (King Baudouin foundation) which annually pays 7500 EUR for well-founded organ restoration projects in French-speaking Belgium.
Man of firm belief, Serge Schoonbroodt is not at a loss for words. He boldly defends a multicultural, open-minded and tolerant society.
