Biography

Albert Delvaux was born in Leuven (Belgium) on 31 May 1913. He started his musical education in his home town and he continued on professional level at the Conservatoire royal in Liège. There, in 1935 he obtained the Price of Virtuosity for Cello with professor Rodolphe Soiron. In 1936 he obtained the Higher Diploma of Chamber Music. His theoretical music education contained Fugue, Composition and Orchestration; his teachers were Joseph Leroy and François Rasse. At the Mozarteum in Salzburg he improved his orchestration skills with Igor Markevitsh and Volker Wangenheim.

Delvaux’ activities as a music pedagogue were numerous and versatile. He taught at the music academy and the normal school in Tienen, the conservatory of Leuven and the Conservatoire royal in Liège among other activities. From 1970 until 1978 he worked at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel [Royal Conservatory Brussels] where he taught counterpoint and fugue. During more than thirty years he was the director of the music academy of Sint-Niklaas.

Gilbert Huybens remembers his former teacher: “Personally I got to know Albert Delvaux and learned to appreciate him as a counterpoint and fugue lecturer at Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel [Royal Conservatory Brussels]. Together with Jean Louel he determined the quality of the notation courses during the 1971-1978 period. And that quality was, back then more than today, of a remarkable standard. Delvaux was demanding. He highly valued design, a natural melodic and voice, a clear harmony and a clearly delineated rhythm. Everything needed to be planned. From the students he expected that they knew exactly what they were doing, like an architect who neatly designs and draws his plans. He did not tolerate amateurism or any form of improvisation. […] If an assignment did not meet his standards, it had to be redone. Absolutely!”

Initially Delvaux worked as a cellist, but as time went by he became more active as a conductor and composer. He was the founder and conductor of the Bach Association in Leuven and later of the Waeslandia Chamber Orchestra.

Albert Delvaux passed away in Jette at 16 May 2007.