Philippe Maria François Herreweghe, Knight Herreweghe (born 2 May 1947) is a Belgian conductor and choirmaster.
Herreweghe founded La Chapelle Royale and Collegium Vocale Gent and is renowned as a conductor, with a repertoire ranging from Renaissance to early Romantic classical music. He specialises in Baroque music, with a particular focus on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Early life
Herreweghe was born in Ghent as the first of three children to Edward Raymond Frans (1919–2006) and Elza Maria Augusta Herreweghe (née van Herrewege; 1919–1976). He received his first piano lessons from his mother.
In his school years at the University of Ghent, Herreweghe combined studies in medical science and psychiatry with a musical education at the Ghent Conservatory, where Marcel Gazelle, Yehudi Menuhin's accompanist, was his piano teacher.
During this period, Herreweghe started several other groups and ensembles with whom he made historically appropriate and well-thought-out interpretations of repertoire stretching from the Renaissance to contemporary music. They include the Ensemble Vocal Européen, specialised in Renaissance polyphony, and the Orchestre des Champs Élysées, founded in 1991 with the aim of playing Classical and Romantic repertoire on original instruments.
Since 2009, Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent have been actively working on the development of a large European-level symphonic choir, at the invitation of the prestigious Accademia Chigiana in Siena and since 2011 with the support of the European Union's Cultural Programme.
For some time Herreweghe has been active performing the great symphonic works, from Beethoven to Gustav Mahler. He has been principal conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic since 1997.
Herreweghe is principally known as a conductor of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is regarded by leading Bach scholars today as a founding father of the Baroque authentic practice, original-instrument movement and one of record label Harmonia Mundi's most prolific recording artists, with over 60 albums to his name.
Beethoven – The 9 Symphonies Philippe Herreweghe, Royal Flemish Philharmonic. PENTATONE PTC 5186312 (2011).
Mendelssohn Bartholdy – The Piano Concertos & Rondo brilliant. Martin Helmchen, Philippe Herreweghe, Royal Flemish Philharmonic. PENTATONE PTC 5186366 (2011).
Schubert – Symphony No. 9 in C, D. 944, "The Great". Philippe Herreweghe, Royal Flemish Philharmonic. PENTATONE PTC 5186372 (2011).
Beethoven – Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7. Philippe Herreweghe, Royal Flemish Philharmonic. PENTATONE PTC 5186315 (2011).
Stravinsky – Monumentum • Mass & Symphonie de Psaumes, Bach & Stravinsky – Choral-Variationen. Philippe Herreweghe, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Collegium Vocale Gent. PENTATONE PTC 5186349 (2010)