|
The Dutch organist, harpsichordist, composer and arranger, Bart Jacobs, studied organ with Reitze Smits and harpsichord and basso continuo with Kris Verhelst at the Lemmens Institute in Louvain (Leuven), Belgium. He completed his Masters Degree for organ with summa cum laude in 2000. In 2002 he obtained his Masters Degree for harpsichord with magna cum laude and was awarded his Organ Specialization Degree with the same distinction.
In 2000 Bart Jacobs was appointed organist of the Brussels cathedral choir with which he has recorded a variety of works for organ and choir, including the complete organ works of August De Boeck and Lodewijk De Vocht. Between 2006 and 2010 he was awarded prizes in no less than four international organ competitions: In 2006: Fourth prize and Listeners’ prize at the International Musica Antiqua Organ Competition, Bruges (Belgium); In 2008: Finalist of the Max Reger Organ Competition, Leeuwaarden (The Netherlands); In 2009: First prize at the Schnitger Competition, Alkmaar (The Netherlands), distinguished for his “diversity of interpretation and great musicality”. He is the first Belgian musician ever to have received this prize; In 2010: Third prize at the International Sweelinck Competition, Amsterdam (The Netherlands). In 2012 he was appointed titular organist at the cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula in Brussels.
Bart Jacobs is organist of the ensemble Vox Luminis (Director: Lionel Meunier) and the Baroque orchestra Les Muffatti Brüssel (Director: Peter Van Heyghen). With this orchestra he regularly performs his own reconstructions of concerti for organ and strings by J.S. Bach, recorded in 2019 for the label Ramée. As organist and harpsichordist, he is much in demand as continuo player. He has taken part in concerts throughout Europe and collaborated in numerous recordings with various renowned ensembles including Les Muffatti, Vox Luminis, Currende (Director: Erik van Nevel), Il Gardellino (Director: Marcel Ponseele), Ricercar Consort (Director: Philippe Pierlot), Ensemble BachPlus (Director: Bart Naessens), Psallentes, Hathor consort, Collegium Ad Mosam, …
His impressive discography includes performances on both harpsichord and organ. His debut solo albums, featuring organ works of J.S. Bach’s best students (2013) and Early organ works and Sinfonias of J.S. Bach (2015) has been enthusiastically received at home and abroad.. The CD "Ein Fest Burg ist unser Gott" (2016) for the Ricercar-label with works for organ and choir with the ensemble Vox Luminis received prizes as “CHOC de Classica 2017”, “Diapson 5”, “Gramophone Editors Choice 2017”and “ffff de Télérama”. In 2018 he recorded the complete Clavier-Übung III of J.S. Bach and his own reconstructions of concerti for organ and strings by J.S. Bach for the label Ramée. He has also cooperated on All of Bach, where he can be seen and heard interpreting J.S. Bach on the organ and harpsichord.
Bart Jacobs is co-founder of the Vlaamse Klavecimbel Vereniging (2006), (the Flemish Harpsichord Society), which aims to enlarge the public’s interest in the harpsichord by organizing annual Harpsichord Days, workshops and public master-classes. As teacher of organ and harpsichord, he is attached to the Academy for Music, Drama and Dance in Bornem (Antwerp). |
