Jef Van Hoof (8 May 1886 – 24 April 1959) was a Belgian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and conductor with a

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

ethnic background. Born in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Van Hoof was a pupil of

Paul Gilson Paul Gilson (Brussels, 15 June 1865 – Brussels, 3 April 1942) was a Belgian musician and composer. Biography Paul Gilson was born in Brussels. In 1866, his family moved to Ruisbroek in the Belgian province of Brabant. There he studied the ...

and was heavily influenced by the works of

Peter Benoit Peter Benoit (17 August 18348 March 1901) was a Flemish composer of Belgian nationality. Biography Petrus Leonardus Leopoldus Benoit was born in Harelbeke, Flanders, Belgium in 1834. He was taught music at an early age by his father and the vil ...

. His dedication to the Flemish cause led him to collaborate with the German occupiers in World War I, for which he was subsequently sentenced to eight months in prison. He studied at the

Royal Conservatoire Antwerp The Royal Conservatoire Antwerp ( nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen) is a Belgian conservatory of music, dance and drama in Antwerp, Belgium. It was founded in 1898 as the Royal Flemish Conservatoire by Peter Benoit. The legislation on u ...

, of which he was the director from 1942 to 1944. In 1933 he founded the (Vlaams Nationaal Zangfeest) where he worked as a conductor for many years. He also conducted concerts associated with the Flemish Movement. He died in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

in 1959 at the age of 72. He composed

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

, symphonic works,

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...

s, works for solo

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, as well as sacred music. He is particularly known for writing the Flemish patriotic song "Groeninge" to a text by Guido Gezelle.

Works (Selection)

Symphonies

* Symphony No. 1 in A major (1938) * Symphony No. 2 in A-flat major (1938) * Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major (1945) * Symphony No. 4 in B major (1950) * Symphony No. 5 in E major (1955) * Symphony No. 6 in B-flat major (1959)

Orchestral

* ''Perzeus'', Concert Overture (1908) * ''William the Silent'', Concert Overture (1912) * ''Meivuur'', suite from the opera (1916) * ''Remembrance Overture'' (1917) * Symphonic Suite No. 1 (1918) * ''Symphonic introduction to a festive occasion'' (1942) * Symphonic Suite No. 2 (1952)

Concertante

* Sketch for Cello and Orchestra (1920) * Divertimento For Trombone And Orchestra (1935)

Orchestral Songs

* ''A Mood of Spring'' for soprano and orchestra (1910) * ''The Garland Has Been Hung'' (1913) * ''Afternoon At Home'' (1946)

References

Biography
by Luc Leytens

External links

* 1886 births 1959 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Belgian male musicians Belgian composers Belgian conductors (music) Composers for carillon Flemish composers Male classical composers Male conductors (music) Musicians from Antwerp Flemish activists Belgian collaborators with Imperial Germany Belgian prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of Belgium {{Belgium-composer-stub