Sabine Haenebalcke

Sabine Haenebalcke (°1951) is a piano teacher at the Arts College in Ghent (secondary education in the arts). 

She read music at the Koninklijk Musicconservatorium (Royal Music Conservatory), also in Ghent.

In addition, she has attended courses in choral and orchestral direction given by Laszlo Heltay (London), Nicolas Brochot (Paris) and Pierre Cao (Luxembourg), among others.

In 1990 she founded the Vocal Ensemble KALLIOPE. She succeeded, in a short space of time, in developing this ensemble into a much-acclaimed choir.

The urge to conduct led her, automatically, to the big time. On the 4th of October 1997 she made her first appearance as a conductor in charge of the Flemish Symphony Orchestra. She conducted, on that occasion, pieces written specially for the chorus, orchestra and soloists (Bernadette Degelin, Lucienne Van Deyck and Werner Van Mechelen), including works by Karol Szymanowski (Stabat Mater), Francis Poulenc (Gloria), by Vic Legley (Before endeavours fade) and by Jozef Ryelandt (XXII^th Harpzang). These renditions were well received by the press and the general public.

In her role as the resident choirmaster, since January 1998, of the Kortrijk-based, mixed voice choir 'Altra Voce', which markets itself as an oratorio choir, Sabine Haenebalcke has conducted several different works for the chorus, orchestra and soloists by Johannes Brahms (Song of Destiny), Alexander Borodin (Polovtsian Dances), Andrew Lloyd Webber (Requiem) and J.S. Bach (Passion according to St. John), among others.

In the spring of 2000, Sabine Haenebalcke conducted, in Ghent, four scenic performances of the church pageant opera "Noye's Fludde" by Benjamin Britten and on the bill, for the 2000-2001 season, are several performances of Offenbach's operetta "La Vie Parisienne", under her able direction.

In her role as guest choirmaster, she has worked with the VRT Radio Choir, among others.

Increasingly, she is being invited to be a judge at national and international choir contests and tournaments.

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