BACKGROUND

Often do I think of the words of the poet Robert Frost: ‘Two roads diverged in the woods and I — I took the one less traveled, and that has made all the difference.'

At 46, in the middle of an international business career with a New York bank, and after years with a petroleum company in Europe as a chemist, I went back to the aspiration of my childhood to pursue justice through music, a language that touches our emotions. . *** After reflecting on poverty and social injustices, and having moved back with my family from Central Africa I left my job as head of the Africa Department of a major NYC commercial bank and enrolled in the Western Michigan University Irving S. Gilmore School of Music. The progressive weakness of my right hand led me to focus on composition instead of piano performance - and to compose music for Peace. I reflected anew on the bike rides of my childhood, meandering from the First World War military cemeteries in the Belgian Flanders, to the World War II military cemeteries in the Belgian Ardennes.

The Suite “Of Barbed Wire and Red Roses” for large brass ensemble and timpani is the result of reflections on the civil wars that I had witnessed while traveling a decade for business in Africa. This Suite was recognized with the Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Award. Other awards from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo Arts Outreach Grant and the Pharmacia and Upjohn Foundation Grant, reinforced the choice to pursue music composition; to follow the road less traveled. . *** Besides the first Concerto “Imagine New York” Op. 39 for piano and the Oratorio “Requiem for the Fallen” Op. 50, inviting reflection on the losses of life, other significant orchestral works are the uplifting Concerto for alto saxophone and strings “Springtime in Chicago” Op. 61; the Cantata “A Plea from the Earth” Op. 63 on lyrics about respect and forgiveness; the piano Concerto “Between War and Peace” Op. 64 for the left hand, inviting reflection on war and peace; and the large setting of the “Ave Maria” prayer Op. 66, for soprano, choir and small orchestra. . ***

As a child, I was not allowed to do music because our parents still traumatized by memories of WWII, were now enduring the Cold War. They scrambled for food to feed us, while Russian tanks rolled through Hungary (1956) and Chekoslovakia (1969).

Instead of studying music to create and share beauty, I studied organic chemistry at the University of Brussels, and learnt music and self taught piano. I pursued a PhD in chemistry and worked several years for an oil company. After relocating to the USA, with my American bride, I earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Following a decade in NYC and in West Africa, and becoming the head of the Africa Division of a major New York bank, I joined the faculty of a university in Michigan to teach international finance and economics. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, I received a call from the US Agency for International Development in Washington DC. The job was the oversight of some Agency programs in Central Europe.

These experiences led to appreciating that the paths to peace must include mutual respect and mutual understanding so as to keep the lines of communication open. I reflected on the arts as non judgemental tool for understanding and respect, and finally enrolled in the Western Michigan University School of Music.

Over the next decades, my compositions would progressively explore the search of respect and peace. They include ‘Requiem for the Fallen’, a large Oratorio honoring the victims of war; the ‘Organ Sonata’ about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; the Concertante fantaisie for Piano and Band ‘Destination West’ about the unification of America; the first Concerto for Piano and Orchestra ‘Imagine New York’, about Freedom; the joyful Alto Saxophone Concerto ’Springtime in Chicago’; the Cantata ‘A Plea from the Earth’; the virtuoso piano Toccata ‘Exultate’ for the left hand; and the Second Piano Concerto, 'Between War and Peace’, also for the left hand.

These compositions are intertwined with piano pieces, chamber music, melodies and cycles for soprano or soprano and mezzo with piano, harp, organ or string quartet. Among the most significant vocal cycles are ‘Come Ye Who Love‘ (2014), ‘Winter Wood’ (2016) and ‘Yulia’ (2015).

December 2025