Cristel De Meulder

Cristel De Meulder studied at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music in Antwerp, where she obtained a first prize in chamber music and the “Hoger Diploma” in voice. She obtained her Master’s Degree at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. After masterclasses with Noëlle Barker, Geoffrey Parsons and Sigiswald Kuycken, she has continued her specialised studies in advanced vocal techniques at the “Lichtenberger Institut für Gesang und Instrumentalspiel”, directed by Gisela Rohmert.

The repertoire of Cristel De Meulder embraces a wide spectrum: oratorios, cantatas, passions, orchestral masses, chamber music and the classic religious repertoire for all occasions. She also has an affinity to the romantic Flemish repertoire, sacred as well as profane, in works for solo voice with accompaniment by organ, harmonium, or piano. She is no stranger to contemporary music. She participated as soloist in the first performance of the opera ‘Aquarius’ by Karel Goeyvaerts. She participated also in the first performance of ‘Elegy of Kayano’ for soprano solo, basset horn and percussion, set to music by N.Sommereyns. She performed this work in Japan (Osaka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Tokyo).

She is in demand as a soloist in diverse projects, not only in her own country, but also in many European countries. She took a programme of baroque music for soprano, trumpet and organ on tour to Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore. She made several times a tour to South-Africa with a programme voice/organ. She sang at the “Bamboo Organ Festival” in Las Piñas (Philippines). She was invited in Brazil with a programme of Flemish romantic religious songs. She was invited for concerts at the Festival “Sugrizimai” in Lithuania. She performed at various occasions in Italy, Lithuania, Germany, Portugal, France, Ireland, Poland, South America (Argentina, Uruguay).

For a number of years she has performed different projects with Beatrijs Van Craenenbroeck. There programme poetry, voice and piano at the Belgian Embassy in London in 2011 was highly-praised.

With the organist/harpsichordist Jan Van Mol she has recorded 4 highly-praised solo CDs, “Exsultate, Jubilate” (famous Sacred Songs), “Tota Pulchra Es” (Flemish religious melodies) and “Cantio Sacra” (small cantates of the Iberian Island), Laudate Dominum (famous Sacred Songs II). For a number of years she has formed a duo, performing in Belgium and abroad. In 1998 they established the Calcant Society, presenting their own specialised programmes with which they wish to foster the love of the organ. In addition to this, they organize several vocal festivals.

Since 2001 Cristel De Meulder has been one of the artistic directors of the Artist’s Foundation (www.artiestenfonds.be) at Antwerp’s historic St.Charles Borromeo Church, which has presented, for the past 70 years, a broadly diversified programme for their extremely popular Sunday Artist’s Mass. Since 2004 she has been musical adviser for the Feugère organ concerts in the St-Martinus Church in Kontich, near Antwerp, Belgium.