August Baeyens

Who was August Baeyens?

August Louis Baeyens was a Belgian violist and composer.

Baeyens studied viola, harmony and counterpoint with Napoleon Distelmans and August de Boeck at the Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp receiving a first prize in viola in 1916. Beginning in 1911, he was a viola player in Belgian orchestras including that of the French-language opera company in Antwerp, de Royal, and in the orchestra of the Nieuwe Concerten.

In 1927, Baeyens founded the Antwerps Kamermuziekensemble. The group performed a wide range of contemporary music before its demise in 1932. The ensemble is credited with many Belgian premieres including works by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith, Arthur Honegger, Igor Stravinsky, and several Flemish composers including Jef van Durme and Karel Albert.

In 1932 Baeyens became secretary of the Royal Flemish Opera translating opera libretti into Dutch among other duties. Later, he was appointed director. In 1958 he resigned in order to devote himself to composition.