Philippe Herreweghe was born in Ghent, Belgium and studied at both the university and music conservatory there, studying piano with Marcel Gazelle. During this period he started conducting and founded the Collegium Vocale Gent in 1970.
He was invited by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt, who had noticed his innovative work, to participate in their recordings of the complete cantatas of J.S. Bach.
Herreweghe continually seeks out new musical challenges, and has been very active performing the great symphonic repertoire, from Beethoven to Stravinsky. Since 1997 he is directing the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra as principal and guest conductor.
He has undertaken projects with the Staatkapelle Dresden, the Philharmonia orchestra London, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra are planned.
Over the years, Philippe Herreweghe has built up an extensive discography of more than 120 recordings with all these different ensembles, on such labels as Harmonia Mundi France, Virgin Classics and Pentatone.
Here is Philippe Herreweghe conducting Mozart’s beautiful Symphony #38:
