François Daneels

François Daneels (born 1921 Tubize, Belgium—20 April 2010 Tubize, Belgium)[1] was an internationally renowned virtuoso classical saxophonist, a prolific composer, and music educator from Belgium. From 1954 to 1981, Daneels was professor of saxophone at his alma mater, the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.[2][3][4]

Education & career

Daneels studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, earning First Prize with Great Distinction in 1939. He had been a distinguished professor at the Conservatory since 1954.[5] His performed internationally, including in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Hungary, former Czechoslovakia, and Denmark. More than forty compositions for solo saxophone were specifically written for him. Daneels also founded the Belgian Saxophone Quartet in 1953 and took it on a world tour that year.[5] He also founded the Belgian Saxophone Quintet, the Belgium Saxophone Septet, and the Belgium Saxophone Octet. He is widely known for having founded the Belgian School of Saxophone, which he described as a blend of the French School of Marcel Mule and the American School—a mixture characterized by the quality of sound, rhythmic rigor, observance of nuances, and respect of the text of pieces studied. When Daneels retired from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 1981, one of his former students, Alain Crépin, succeeded him.[6]

Daneels founded the School of Music of Tubize (l'école de musique de Tubize) in 1962, and, in addition to his duties at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, served as director and professor there until 1974. The school has since been elevated to academy status, and, in 2004, was renamed Académie François Daneels.[7]

Daneels was the founding president of International Adolphe Sax Association in 1994, and served in that role until 2004. Beginning 1994, the association has hosted the International Adolphe Sax Competition every 4 years in Dinant, the birthplace of Adolphe Sax. For the competition, Daneels was chairman of the music committee for the 1994, 1998, and 2002 competitions. In January 1999, he was declared Honorary Citizen of the City of Dinant.

Selected discography
  • Concertos for Saxophone, Decca 173018 (1960) OCLC 26653941 LCCN 62-2011
1. "Double Concerto for Alto, Saxophone, Piano, and Orchestra," Op. 34 (1946), Raymomd Chevreuille, composer
Daneels, saxophone; Marcel Gazelle, piano; Orchestre national de Belgique; Raymomd Chevreuille (1901–1976), conductor
2. "Divertimento for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra," Op. 86, Jean Absil, composer
Belgium Saxophone Quartet; Orchestre national de Belgique; René Defossez, conductor
3. "Piano Concerto No. 2," Jean Louël
Philibert Mees (1929–2006), piano; Orchestre national de Belgique; René Defossez, conductor
Track 4: "Suite," for saxophone, André Waignein (composer)
Track 6: J.S. Bach
  • Récital de saxophone
  1. "Fantaisie caprice," Op. 152, Jean Absil (1971), Daneels (soloist)
  2. "Sisyphus 1971," William P. Latham (1971), Daneels (soloist)
  3. "Variations," Pierre Max Dubois, Belgium Saxophone Quartet OCLC 2710951
Track 4: "Batterie," opus 29 (1937), text by Jean Cocteau, Daneels (soloist) OCLC 37200912
Westvlaams Orkest, Dirk Varendonck, conductor
  1. "Ballade pour saxo, alto et archets," Marcel Poot
  2. "Divertimento pour petit orchestre," Marcel Poot

Compositions dedicated to Daneels

Notable students

References
  1. Fantaisie Caprice (Opus 152), WASBE World, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Buchloe, Germany: Obermayer, March 2011, Vol. 3, No. 1, pg. 25 (footnote 26 on pg. 26) ISSN 1435-5795
  2. International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory, Cambridge, England: International Who's Who in Music
    Eighth edition (1977) OCLC 3493652
    Ninth edition (1980) OCLC 655818187, 7519641
    10th edition (1984) OCLC 11828662
    12th edition, 1990–1991 (1990) OCLC 28065697
  3. The Saxophone, by Stephen Cottrell (born 1962), Yale University Press, pg. 257 (2012) OCLC 785865144
  4. Belga—Obituary: Décès du saxophoniste belge François Daneels, La Libre Belgique, April 21, 2010
  5. The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, edited by Richard Ingham, Cambridge University Press, pg. 41: "Influential Soloists" (1998) OCLC 38748296
  6. An Interview with Francois Daneels, by Luc Schollaert, Saxophone Journal, Vol 13, No 3, November/December 1988 ISSN 0276-4768
  7. Académie François Daneels; Les nouveaux locaux rebaptisés au nom du saxophoniste tubizien, La Dernière Heure, September 21, 2004
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