(b. 14 September 1968, Ghent).
Belgian composer of mostly chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere; he is also active as a conductor, harpsichordist and organist.
Mr. Agsteribbe studied organ with Stanislas Deriemaeker, Peter van Dijk and Joris Verdin at the Koninklijk Vlaams Conservatorium in Antwerp from 1986–90 and there also studied music theory with Boudewijn Buckinx and Luc Van Hove from 1986–92 and harpsichord with Jos van Immerseel from 1992–97. He studied composition with Frederic Rzewski at the Conservatoire royal de musique in Liège from 1991–95. He has studied orchestral conducting privately with David Angus in Belgium since 2003 and attended masterclasses with Diego Masson at the Dartington International Summer School in 2004–05, on the Dartington International Summer School Scholarship and the D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Bursary.
He has received commissions from numerous ensembles, including BASF/Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Brussels Philharmonic, I Cherubini, the Ensor Strijkkwartet, Ex Tempore, the Filharmonisch Jeugdorkest van Vlaanderen, the Noordlimburgs Mannenkoor, and I Solisti del Vento. His music has been performed in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
As a conductor, he has been active since 1994 and has led performances of Baroque and 20th-century music in Belgium and the UK. He has served as artistic director of the period-instrument orchestra B'Rock, for the performance of both Baroque and contemporary music, in Belgium since 2005.
As a harpsichordist and organist, he has performed with his wife, the flutist Els Dedecker, as Duo Mosaic since 1989. He has regularly performed with the Huelgas Ensemble since 1999, Anima Eterna since 2000 and La Petite Bande since 2002.
His publisher, for chamber works, is Lantro Music.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
D'Amour piqué d'une mouche à miel (dance suite, texts by Rémi Belleau, Pierre de Ronsard, choreography by Samyrra Bafdel), soprano, countertenor, cello, harpsichord, 1995 (also version of one section as La Mouche à miel, violin, piano [also version for flute, harpsichord])
Frôleuse (dance music, choreography by Samyrra Bafdel), violin, 1998
ORCHESTRAL:
Sieben Uhr vorbei, string orchestra, 1990
Sonority Coda, 18 or more flutes, 1993
Mars, symphonic band, 1995
Nachtmusik, 2002
Elegiæ, large orchestra, 2003
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Wiegelied voor Wouter en Hannes, flute, organ, 1987
Die Avond en die roze, flute, 1989
Beter 3 duivels in de lucht dan 10 in de hand, flute, 1989
Spring bowing, cello, 1990
Another short story for Michiel, flute, piano, 1990 (also version for flute, 1994)
Parafrasen, flute, bassoon, piano, 1990
Ode I, guitar, 1990
Ode II, flute, 1990
Haydn-variaties, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1991
Cinq Dernières chances pour éviter le modernisme, clarinet, cello, piano, 1991 (also version for clarinet, violin, piano, 1993)
Het Optreden, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 1991
Partita per violino solo, violin, 1991
Pas de cis, flute, harpsichord, 1992
It is like a big tree, flute, piano, 1992
Tallis Variations, flute, organ, 1992
Seven Ad Libita, any wind instrument, 1992
Het kleine, wilde dier, alto recorder (+ soprano recorder), cello, harpsichord, 1993
Dan mocht ik op de beiaard spelen, flute, piano, 1993
De Schalmei, 4 flutes, 1993 (version of choral work)
Susanna II, Renaissance flute, 1994
Susanna III, flute, harpsichord, 1994
La Mouche à miel, violin, piano, 1995 (version of section of D'Amour piqué d'une mouche à miel; also version for flute, harpsichord, 1995)
Cantus prius factus, 2 violins, viola, 1997
Durezze e Ligature, string quartet, 1998
Capriccios, violin, 1998
Drie Dansen voor de Lange Wapper, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), guitar, 1998
Geometrica, guitar, 1999
Two Interludes, alto flute, bass flute, bassoon, marimba, 2001
Ode IV, French horn, 2002
Partita per violoncello solo, cello piccolo, 2002
Till Eulenspiegels höllische Streiche, flute, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, cello, 2004
Piamozartet (based on fragments of two sketches by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), violin, viola, cello, fortepiano, 2006
Saudade, viola da gamba, ensemble (tenor recorder, bass clarinet, harpsichord), 2006
CHORAL:
With love from Greece (texts by Jean Cocteau, Koen Van Damme, Homer), bass, male chorus, double bass, piano, percussion, 1991
Adieu beauté (text by Eustache Deschamps), mixed chorus, 1991
De Schalmei (text by J. Slauerhoff), children's chorus, alto recorder, 3 flutes, clarinet, tenor saxophone, piano, 1993 (also version for 4 flutes)
In de schoot van de honger (cantata, texts by Herman Verbeek, Roos Maes, Johnson Gnanabaranan, anonymous sources), soprano, speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1993
Cantate Domino (text from liturgy in Latin), mixed chorus, 2 harps, 1995
ACV-mis (text from liturgy in Dutch), mixed chorus, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, organ, 1996
Tenebræ (text by Plato [translated by Jean de Serrès]), mixed chorus, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 1996
Et nova sunt semper (text by Ovid), 8 male voices, 1998
Pervigilium Veneris (concerto, texts from the Pervigilium Veneris, Janus Secundus; vocalists move around stage), 8 male voices (any voice + tam-tam, tubular bells), violin, 2 cellos, 2000–01
Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me (text from Psalm 38), mixed chorus, harp, 2 violas, 2 cellos, double bass, celesta, 2002
Moeke moe nie ween nie (text by Ludo Ghoos), children's chorus, 2002
Crucifixus (texts from religious sources from antiquity), 8 mixed voices, 2 tenor recorders ad libitum, 2002
Five Motets (texts from religious sources from antiquity), mixed chorus, 2002–03
Ô Glória de mandar (text by Luís Vaz de Camões), male chorus, 2004
Alma minha gentil (text by Luís Vaz de Camões), female chorus, 2004
VOCAL:
De profundis, alto, flute, clarinet, guitar, harpsichord, 1989
Drie zegenwensen van vader (text by Mahatma Gandhi [translated by Roger Stroobandt]), soprano, flute, clarinet, 1989
Missa ad augmentationem...amoris, soprano, organ, 1991
Erst um die sechste Stunde (text by Franz Kafka), baritone, harp, viola, 1992
Should (text by the composer), speaker, big band, 1993
Three Songs (texts from ancient sources from India, Erik Satie), soprano, flute, guitar, 1993
De Hand van Guido (text by Guido Gezelle), soprano, 2 male speakers, violin, cello, double bass, piano, 1995
...wenn die Blätter treiben (texts by Arthur Rimbaud, Rainer Maria Rilke), bass, flute, cello, 1996
Basium X (text by Janus Secundus [translated by Jacob Westerbaen]), soprano, marimba, 2000
Basium XI (text by Janus Secundus [translated by Jacob Westerbaen]), tenor, cello, 2001
Månskenet strömmar stilla (text by Bo Bergman), 2 sopranos, cello, piano, 2005
PIANO:
Nocturne, 1984
Ode III, 1990
Bossuniana, 1990 (longer version of work for organ)
Sonata, 1990
Par-Court, 1990
Pavane pour un défunt (each player also speaks text by Anton Chekhov), 2 pianos, 1991
Les Demoiselles de Fontainebleau, 1992
Variatio Hieronymo, 1993
Seven Nocturnes, violin ad libitum, piano, 1999
ORGAN:
Bossuniana, 1990 (also longer version for piano)
Susanna I, 1994
Nacht mit Bach, 2003
DISCOGRAPHY
Another short story for Michiel (original version). Janna van Mechelen, flute; Johan Bossers, piano (Cassa Nova: 950821, 1994)
Another short story for Michiel (original version). Jan Raes, flute; Koen Kessels, piano (Phaedra: 92009, 1995)
Drie Dansen voor de Lange Wapper. I Cherubini (iCP: 1, 1999)
Nachtmusik. Johannes Leertouwer/Filharmonisch Jeugdorkest van Vlaanderen (Filharmonisch Jeugdorkest van Vlaanderen, 2002)