Benoît Laurent

Oboe, ornamentation and improvisation, early music theory

Benoît Laurent, a Doctor of Arts and Art Sciences, embarked on his musical journey at a young age. Initially drawn to world music, he later immersed himself in classical music, joining the recorder class of F. de Roos at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles. Simultaneously, he studied modern oboe under S. Cremers at the Conservatoire Royal de Mons. It was at this juncture that he discovered the baroque oboe, a passion that led him to seek guidance from P. Dombrecht and A. Van Lancker, later refining his skills in Germany with M. Niesemann. In August 2008, Benoît achieved the remarkable feat of winning the 2nd prize in the soloist category at the Musica Antiqua competition in Bruges, propelling him into the spotlight. Beyond his contributions to chamber music, including notable collaborations with The 1750 Project and Wolf, Benoît has graced performances with renowned orchestras and period instrument ensembles such as Vox Luminis, Balthasar Neumann, O[h]!, Les Passions de l'âme, Anima Eterna, Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, Concerto Köln, Capella Cracoviensis, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and more.

In 2020, Benoît Laurent achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing his doctoral thesis on Giuseppe Sammartini and his repertoire for wind instruments. This collaborative effort between the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles underscored his scholarly commitment. Eager to share his enthusiasm and expertise, Benoît now imparts knowledge as a teacher of baroque oboe, early music theory, improvisation, and ornamentation in early styles at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles.

Achievements

  • Two unpublished concertos for oboe by G. Sammartini with Les Muffatti (Ramée, 2011)
  • German music for oboe ensemble with his own ensemble Lingua Franca (Ricercar, 2010)
  • Concerto for oboe in C Major by L. A. Lebrun, Les Agremens (Ricercar 2011)
  • German Sonatas for Baroque Oboe, Lingua Franca (Ricercar, 2012)
  • Concerto for oboe and violin by J.S. Bach, Basel Kamerorchester (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 2014).
  • "Mr. Handel's musicians", Sonatas for oboe and basso continuo composed by musicians of G.F. Handel (Perfect Noise, 2017).
  • The 1750 Project, 'Serenissima', A musical portrait of Venice around 1726 (Ramée, 2021).