Jules Baeten, clarinettist

Jules Baeten belongs to a new generation of Belgian clarinettists distinguished by refinement, conviction, and a natural sense of musicality. With an authentic and expressive playing style, he leaves a profound musical impression as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician.

Jules has received prizes at various national and international competitions. In 2022, he won first prize at the “InMusic” Clarinet Festival Competition in Portugal and was awarded second prize at the Swiss International Music Competition in Switzerland. He also received a gold medal at the Vienna International Music Competition in Austria and was named a ‘Classic Young Master’ by the Classic Young Master Foundation in the Netherlands.

During the 2022/23 season, Jules was a member of the fellowship programme of Sinfonia Smith Square (formerly Southbank Sinfonia). Since August 2023, he has been principal clarinetist of Philzuid. In addition, he is regularly invited as a guest principal clarinetist by leading orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, and the Ulster Orchestra.

He gained further orchestral experience with ensembles such as the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the BBC Philharmonic, and Welsh National Opera. At both the BBC Philharmonic and Welsh National Opera, he was selected for trials for the positions of solo bass clarinet and sub-principal clarinet respectively.

Throughout his career, Jules has collaborated with renowned conductors including Marc Albrecht, Andrea Battistoni, Alexandre Bloch, Iván Fischer, Philippe Herreweghe, Eva Ollikainen, Lorenzo Viotti, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Elim Chan, and John Storgårds. His musical journey has taken him to prestigious concert halls across Europe, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Musiikkitalo in Helsinki, and the Rudolfinum in Prague.

In the upcoming academic year, Jules will further deepen his artistic development through two leading post-master programmes. He will begin the Zoé Crampon Postgraduate Programme, an international course in collaboration with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, KASK & Conservatorium Ghent, Buffet Crampon, and IMP, with a particular focus on artistic research, chamber music, and the development of a personal musical identity. In addition, he will start a Meisterklasse at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg under the guidance of clarinettist Shirley Brill, where he will continue to refine his soloistic and artistic mastery of the clarinet.

Jules began his musical education at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Dance in Maasmechelen with Michèlle Geerlings. At the age of fifteen, he was admitted to the Young Talent Class at the Conservatorium Maastricht, where he graduated cum laude in 2020 under the guidance of Roeland Hendrikx. He subsequently continued his studies at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague with Olivier Patey, Rick Huls, and Davide Lattuada, completing his master’s degree in 2022.

For his master’s graduation recital, Jules performed the Dutch premiere of At the Hills of Hampstead Heath, a clarinet concerto by Emmy Lindström. In recognition of his exceptional artistic achievements, he received the Fock Medal for the best final examination at the conservatoire, as well as an award for outstanding musical craftsmanship and visionary artistic achievement.

Further inspiration came from his studies at the Saline Royale Academy with Sharon Kam and the Académie Musicale de Villecroze with Pascal Moraguès. He has also participated in masterclasses with internationally renowned clarinettists such as Nicolas Baldeyrou, Michael Collins, Nele Delafonteyne, Julien Hervé, Charles Neidich, Marc Nuccio, Calogero Palermo, Andreas Sundén, and Annelien Van Wauwe.

Alongside his activities as an orchestral and chamber musician, Jules is a passionate teacher. With great enthusiasm, he guides young musicians in their artistic development and encourages them to discover and further refine their own unique musical voice.