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DOMINIQUE RAMMAERT
Biographical reference:

Born in Brussels to a family of artists, his father being a composer, Dominique RAMMAERT studied at the conservatory of his birthplace, and graduated in various disciplines. Prizewinner of the Belgian Foundation for Vocation as conductor, he specialized in this discipline and studies at the Chigiana Academy (Italy) with Maestro Franco Ferrara.

He won international prizes as a conductor:
- Price Hans Harring de Radio Salzburg (Austria) 1972.
- First Prizewinner of the Competition of Besançon (France) 1973.
- Finalist of the Cantelli Competition in the Scala of Milan (Italy) 1980.

During these years, he is also a pianist-coach of the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie (TRM) in Brussels, assistant conductor of the choir of the European Communities, lecturer at the Brussels Conservatory.

He directed mainly:
- the orchestras of the Belgian Radio-Television (RTBF),
- the National Orchestra of Belgium (ONB),
- the Philharmonic Orchestra of Liege,
- the Chamber Orchestra Eugene ISAYE,
- the New Chamber Orchestra in Paris,
- the Symphony orchestra of San Remo (Italy),
- the Symphony orchestra of the RAI (Radio Milan),
- the Orchestra of the Theatre of Scala in Milan,
- the Bach-Kammerorchester of Frankfurt (Germany),
- the Mozarteum-Orchester of Salzburg (Austria).

In 1981, he is hired as Kapellmeister in Stadttheater of Luzern (Switzerland.
He directed several productions of operas, among others: - Verdi's Falstaff, - of Donizetti's Elixir of Love, Otmar Schoeck's Don Ranudo... He was also a coach to baritone Walter Berry.
Back in Belgium, he perfected the study of orchestration with composer Paul Baudouin Michel, in the Conservatory of Mons. He got involved with the non-governmental organization (N.O.G.)  "A.T.D. Quart Monde" (ATD Fourth World ), and he organized concerts in various popular districts of Brussels. At that time, he created "the choral society of the House of Knowledge", which he brought to Royal Theatre de la Monnaie (TRM) in 1998; the CD "Résonances" is a reminder of that performance.
He published a text in the review "Fourth World" in 1995: Resonance in any man. The "Journey in operas", in collaboration with Bernard Foccroulle (Director of the TRM), allowed poor families of Fourth World to discover a.o. A.Berg's Wozzeck, Moussorgski's Khovantchina, Rossini's Cenerentola.

Inspired by the size and the universal reality of the poor people, he wrote an autobiographical scenario which lead to a theatrical creation entitled "The Ambassadors of Shade", performed at Theatre National, within the framework of "Brussels 2000" (European City of Culture).

Project Manager at International Federation of Music Hope (F.I.M.E.) since September 2003, for the preparation and the organization of a round of the O.P.P. (Orchestra For Peace) during the season 2004-2005 in Belgium.

December 7, 2004, the OPP played in ANTWERP in Church St-Paulus.

The program included Near Eastern works.  After intermission, the Fourth Symphony of Beethoven in major B flat.

The musical direction was shared between Dominique RAMMAERT and a conductor from the Middle East. The OPP performed also in Brussels and Mons (Belgium), as well as in France (2005).