Benjamin Haemhouts is one of the most passionate Belgian musicians of the day.
After a career as a solo trombonist in the German Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, he focused on conducting and studied orchestral conducting with the Russian conductor Alexander Polyanichko, for whom he also worked as an assistant.
His collaborations with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Herbert Blomstedt, Gustavo Dudamel, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Jonathan Nott and Esa-Pekka Salonen made lasting impressions upon him.
Since he became principal conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Belgium in 2008, he has been making a name for himself through ground-breaking programmes in which he likes to combine contemporary creations with baroque and classicism.
Haemhouts' interpretations are characterised by conspicuous contrasts, accurate articulation and a dazzling, dynamic manner of making music.
After one of his first concerts as principal conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Belgium, the Belgian weekly KNACK headlined with 'Energy from Belgium!', following a concert during which he combined, without interruption, Pergolesi’s 'Salve Regina' with a universal creation from the award-winning composer Stefan Prins.
In the meantime, this slogan has become his trademark and perfectly describes his ambition and passion.
Benjamin Haemhouts is an innovator who approaches classical repertoires from a contemporary perspective. He is always on the lookout for young new composers with a musical language entirely of their own and he loves to work with the finest soloists from Belgium.
His performances quickly became famous for the true experiences that they are, and this soon ensured that he was receiving invitations to appear in various European countries, as well as Japan.
Within the Chamber Orchestra of Belgium, he focuses on an operating method that emphasises - via projects - social commitment and children. His approach, that all levels of the population must have access to music and that an orchestra must participate in society, has gained a huge level of traction in Belgium.
Benjamin Haemhouts has conducted numerous youth orchestras as guest conductor, including the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, the Antwerp Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Jeunesses Musicales.
He conducted Andre Laporte’s universal creation, 'La Creation', with the HERMESensemble and he has been a guest in various ensembles for contemporary music in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Lately he conducted the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Symphonic Orchestra and the Flemish Radio Orchestra (Brussels Philharmonic).
For 2012, he has numerous appearances scheduled, including a concert at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
