bio

This guiding phrase encapsulates the artistic vision of Belgian composer Sander De Keere (°1992), whose work explores the intersections of contemporary classical music, interdisciplinary collaboration, and conceptual storytelling.

From early on, De Keere was deeply influenced by minimal art and minimal music. While studying at Ghent University, he focused on the evolution of Philip Glass’s musical language, tracing its path from minimalism to post-minimalism in the 1980s and beyond. This academic curiosity culminated in both a thesis and a later radio documentary on Glass, created in honor of the composer’s 80th birthday.

In addition to composing, De Keere has established himself as a prominent voice in classical music broadcasting. For over a decade, he has been a radio host with Klara, the Belgian classical music station of public broadcaster VRT. He is also the creator and presenter of Eerste Hulp bij Klassiek (“First Aid for Classical Music”), a popular weekly podcast with more than 60 episodes. His public engagement extends beyond the studio, regularly hosting Q&A sessions for Brussels Philharmonic and the Flemish Radio Choir (‘Vlaams Radio Koor’), and giving lectures on classical music at the Ancienne Belgique (AB) concert hall in Brussels.

As a composer, De Keere works across genres and disciplines. He composed the soundtrack for the 2024 NTR award-winning podcast Van Voor het Water, which recounts the story of the 1953 North Sea Flood. His music has also featured in the theatre production De Dag Die Komt (“The Day That Is Coming”) at the Ostend Arts and Theatre Festival, and in the national television campaign De Warmste Week, for which he composed a poignant score for piano quintet.

De Keere’s commitment to musical collaboration and live performance is evident in his work as supporting act for violinist Mari Samuelsen, where he performed his own classical compositions. In 2023, he responded to the visual language of minimalist artist Fred Sandback with 18 Lines for Fred Sandback for solo flute. That same year, he created a new work for two saxophones inspired by installations by Morgane Tschiember, exhibited at Fondation CAB in Brussels, where he was honored as the foundation’s first composer-in-residence.

His versatility extends into electronic music as well. In 2019, he performed original compositions for analog synthesizers at the S.M.A.K. (City Museum for Contemporary Art) in Ghent during the Ghent Music Festival’s Night of the Imagination. In 2022, De Keere released his debut EP Primitive Structures on the Belgian jazz label W.E.R.F. Records. A year later, he paid tribute to American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger with the single for Ruth Crawford, released 70 years after her death.

A notable highlight of 2023 was his residency at the atelier of the Dutch minimalist composer Simeon Ten Holt. In 2024, De Keere was commissioned to compose a new choral work for the 40th anniversary of De Tweede Adem, a choir dedicated to contemporary experimental music. The resulting piece, Concrete Music, was inspired by the instruction manual of a concrete mixer and is set to be performed throughout the 2025–2026 season.

Collaboration remains a central source of inspiration. He has worked with acclaimed ensembles such as KOI Collective and Duo Altiler. His most recent project, Organica, marks a new chapter in his artistic journey—introducing his voice as an organist and performer. Simultaneously, he is recording a new classical album featuring original compositions for saxophone quartet, piano four hands, violin, electric guitar, and bass synthesizer.