Ludwig Albert - artistic director

Internationally highly acclaimed as a virtuoso and devoted pedagogue, L. Albert belongs throughout the world as Belgian leading marimbist and pioneer with the absolute topflight and is profiled as one of the most successful marimbists and pedagogues of his generation. After obtaining a first prize percussion, the superior Diploma percussion and his master-degree specialisation marimba, he shaped his talent as first Belgian marimbist with Keiko Abe in Tokyo-Japan, and performed with her starting 1996 several successful international concert productions.
 
Starting 1995, he searched for new sound-combinations and founded with Belgian mezzo Katrine Druyts his duo ‘Patrasche’. with the combination of marimba and voice.  As true pioneers of this unique combination, they developed over 20 years a style of their own and could inspire nowadays several artists and composers to create new music for this strength. They mainly perform Albert’s own compositions, creations and improvisations based on traditional folksongs. Their musical combination evokes a fascinating world. They received abroad outstanding critics for their first album “Japanese Impressions” and were regular guests of dedicated radio-broadcastings & festivals. After their second album with “Impressions of the low-countries”, they will release their next label album “Ardor“ in 2012 with selected songs from Spain & Mexico.
 
In 1996, he founded the organisation “marimba-Projects”to develop the marimba by organizing marimba-events & pedagogical projects. He founded in 2001 the prestigious “Universal Marimba Competition & Festival of Belgium”, under the high Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Paola and is related as artistic director to this prestigious event, the Keiko Abe Int. Marimba Academy, the Ludwig Albert Int. Marimba Summer Academy and the Flanders Marimba ensemble. He created and founded with the aid of the Royal Conservatory Antwerp Europe’s fist acclaimed marimba department offering an official marimba master degree. Helping to drive this program is the worldwide praised Ludwig Albert pioneering Movement Method designed to reach an ultimate sound and musicality. His students alumni includes more than 50 winning top prizes, endorsing & label recording contracts and positions at universities and orchestra’s. Showered with several tittles, he recorded 10 label-albums: Japanese Impressions, Marimba paraphrases, marimba dances, Impressions of the Low Countries, marimba Christmas fantasy, Marimba Waves, Marimba Selections, Global Marimba and Ardor with first recordings of own works, arrangements, improvisations, masterworks and dedicated compositions.
 
He appeared over a decade as Yamaha artist. From 2011 he’s is related as Adams endorser and assisted in the construction of the signature Ludwig Albert concert model released by the Adams Company from 2011. This honour is for the first time presented to a European marimbist. He astonished his audience by playing in première the marimba with 8 mallets and is using as first European marimbist special designed decors and light-direction during his productions to attract a larger audience. He performed several Int. tours as a soloist and with the cooperation of significant guest artists, ensembles & orchestras and is receiving invitations Worldwide as a regular guest to perform concerts and master classes at significant festivals and universities in Belgium, Spain, France, Argentine, Mexico, Russia, Japan, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, US, China, Taiwan, Slovenia, Netherlands, Korea, Hong-Kong, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Uruguay, Portugal..
 
He ‘s related as titular professor at the Royal Conservatoire of Music Antwerp and at the Lemmens institute Leuven. He’s guest professor of the “Universidad Nac. del Artes” in Chiapas, doctorandus at the University Antwerp and serves as president and founder of the Percussive Arts Society- chapter Belgium. From 2012, he's appointed as artistic director of the international marimba festival Russia and as advisory of the committee and charger in the percussion division of the international Brass competition in Je-ju, Korea. He appeared abroad as jury member at international Competitions in Russia, Spain, Mexico, France, Belgium, Italy, Korea, Germany, Croatia, China and Lithuania.  
 
For his celebrations of 10 & 15 years career, he released a double album, appeared in a Belgian mass production with more than 15.000 spectators and performed a sold out Belgian & Russian concert tour. His successful tours in Russia got an item on the Russian National news broadcast.  
 
During 2012-13 he will celebrate 20 years career. For this occasion he signed up with an American label for the release of 4 new albums with as highlight the first recordings of 3 new concerto’s. The world première of his own double concerto for marimba & symphonic orchestra will be placed in October 2012 at the National Centre of performing arts in Beijing with the cooperation of the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra. Extra concerto performances will take place in Russia, Belgium, Lithuania, Korea and Mexico with the cooperation of the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of Novosibirsk and Vilnius. The World première of his newest commissioned solo work ‘Feel the sunlight’ and works for marimba & percussion will be performed by C.C.Lin & Taknara percussion trio. His celebration concert tour includes also master classes and festival performances in New Mexico, London, China, Croatia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, China, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Japan…
 
He developed as a pioneer of the classic marimba acknowledge as a celebrated star in several countries such as Russia & Mexico. His total repertory of own and dedicated compositions and arrangements is published by Beurskens music editions (NL), edition Svitzer (DK) & Editions F.Dhallman (FR). His signature mallet-line is produced by Innovative percussion (US).
 
Well-known as one of the rare outstanding lyrical performers, he’s honoured with several awards and is highly praised by Int. press-reviews for his unique sound with critics such as: -refined variegated compositions, excellent sensitive virtuoso performance, extra ordinary clarity, El Belga L.Albert- un gran maestro del Mundo, hearing Mr Albert’s performance: you will never lose the sound of the marimba,un musicien sans vanité,  his sound penetrates into the heart so naturally, his play will keep touching our hearts forever, Belgian artist at the top in the marimba-world, tremendous popular marimbist performs with 8 mallets, excellent marimbist of the new generation, this is music of the purest water, L.A. succeeds in giving the listener a view of the marimba’s prowess as a lyrical instrument and diminishing its reputation being only a novelty instrument, one of world’s best rising marimba-player, impressing- the overall excellence and superb musicianship of L.A.,-Es uno de los exponentes lideres en toda Europa, Albert is a rising star among marimba-performers worldwide, Albert’s Yamaha marimba sounds very warm and even throughout its register, Albert evokes through his marimba the sound of nature, LA begeisterte mit virtuositàt und theatralischer expressivitàt, extraordinario musico, Siberia melts for L. Albert, His compositions are expressive and flashy, a demonstration of technical and expressive skills, contrasting techniques and colours intrigues the audiences, Magico concierto, marimbista del mundo.Siberia melts for L .Albert, extraordinario musico, the Pantani of the marimba….