Korneel Bernolet

Korneel Bernolet

Korneel Bernolet (b. 1989) is active as both a harpsichordist and a conductor.At the age of 19, he made his début with La Petite Bande (Sigiswald Kuijken). From then onwards, he is regularly invited as a soloist or ensemble player with a.o. Scherzi Musicali (Nicolas Achten), B’Rock, cantoLX (Frank Agsteribbe), Mannheimer Hofkapelle (Florian Heyerick) and Musica Favola (Stephan Van Dyck), besides Ensemble Apotheosis, which he founded and directs himself.As a respected continuo player, he took part in recordings for broadcast, CD and television for the labels Accent, Ricercar, Alpha, Musique en Wallonie, Klara, Musiq3, France Musique, Mezzo… Thus far, he has appeared in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and Spain.After completion of his piano studies with Paul Clcment, Korneel has enjoyed his harpsichord training with highest honors (summa cum laude) at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp in the class of Ewald Demeyere on the famous Dulcken 1747 harpsichord (Museum Vleeshuis). Simultaneously, he refined his playing through mastercourses at the Amsterdam Conservatoire (NL) with Gustav Leonhardt and Menno Van Delft, the Académie Baroque de Lanvellec (F) with Frédérick Haas and Erwan Le Prado (historical improvisation) and several times at the Piccola Accademia di Montisi (I) with Jesper Bøje Christensen and, in particular, Christophe Rousset.As a conductor, Korneel was allowed participation at the highest level of the international Kurt Thomas Course in Utrecht (NL) at the age of 18. Having followed mastercourses with Daan Admiraal and Georg Grün, he was selected to conduct choir and orchestra during the final concert. He is currently completing his Master’s degree with Geert Hendrix and Luc Anthonis at the Antwerp Conservatoire, where he will graduate at the end of June 2013. From January 2011 on, he is principal conductor of the reknowned Bruges choir Vagantes Morborum. Korneel is regularly in charge as a baroque and early-classical repertoire coach with prominent vocal soloists.In 2008, Korneel conducted the Nederlands Wind Ensemble (NBE) in orchestral work of his own writing and led Haendel dance productions at the Antwerp Conservatoire (2009 and 2011). He assisted Frank Agsteribbe in 2010 with B’Rock at the Gergiev Festival (NL) and the Klarafestival (B) in Claire Croizés dance production ‘Vor deinem Thron’, during the same year he also was assistent-director to Ewald Demeyere in the Flemish opera production ‘De Signôor in China’ (c.1760) by J.T. Baustetter at the Antwerp Conservatoire. He conducted the continental creation of ‘The Death of Dido’ (1716) by J.C. Pepusch in eight performances during the Ghent Festivity. For January 2013 he is reappointed assistent to Ewald Demeyere in J.C. Bach’s ‘Artaserse’ at the Antwerp Conservatoire.Korneel obtained the degree of Master of Music with highest honors (summa cum laude), as well as final levels in harmony, counterpoint and fugue. On completion of his harpsichord studies, he was engaged at the Artesis University College (departement Royal Conservatoire) as guest professor of  ‘practical harmony and improvisation’ and harpsichord accompanist. He also teaches harpsichord at the academy of Alost. A researcher at the Antwerp Conservatoire Library, his passion for music typography results in the editing and high quality typesetting of music scores. Korneel is equally active as a recording engineer, offering his experienced ears and technical knowledge to classical musicians.In March 2008, Korneel obtained a first prize at the ‘Dexia Classics’ competition. In November 2010, he was awarded the first ‘ARTos Muziekprijs’ for ‘special artistic achievements’. Korneel is ‘artist in residence’ at vzw SWUK Vlaanderen during the concert season 2012-2013. As ‘Laureat 2013’ of this organisation, he will be recording his first solo disc with ‘Pièces de clavecin’ (1759) by Claude-Bénigne Balbastre on his magnificent Hemsch 1736 copy by Augusto Bonza (collection Korneel Bernolet), to be released through Aliud Records around spring 2013.