Kristien Ceuppens

In addition to a classical trajectory with years of experience in orchestras and as a chamber music musician, this all-round oboist has developed an interesting track record in the world of contemporary music, crossover and multidisciplinary projects.

Already during her studies (in Brussels and Antwerp), Kristien Ceuppens was a welcome guest in the Belgian orchestral world (including deFilharmonie conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, with among others the CD recording of Stravinsky’s Mass and Symphony of Psalms with the Collegium Vocale Ghent, the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra conducted by K. Ono, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and the Brussels Philharmonic). In Germany, she is regularly invited by the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne (conducted by Peter Eötvös, Sylvain Cambreling, Ian Volkov, Emilio Pommarico, and others).

This broad range of activities, as well as a teaching assignment in part-time arts education at the Municipal Academy of Vilvoorde, did not prevent her from focusing increasingly on her great passions: contemporary music and multidisciplinary productions.

Kristien played with the Spectra ensemble and is a much sought-after guest musician with the Ictus ensemble (including a Japan tour with dance company Rosas), Champ d'Action, Het Collectief (Rikadla, production Janacek, with CD recording with Collegium Vocale Ghent conducted by Reinbert De Leeuw), Ensemble Sturm und Klang, the Cologne Musikfabrik (including the scenic world creation by Sonntag aus Licht by Stockhausen), the Portuguese ensemble Remix conducted by Peter Rundel (including Oresteia by Xenakis in a production by La Fura Dels Baus, The Yellow Shark by Frank Zappa, a production at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg) and the Slovenian ensemble Neofonia from Ljubjlana (Death of Light by Jonathan Harvey).

With all these ensembles she was and is still performing on the stages of major music festivals in Europe and beyond (Berliner Festspiele, Musica Strasbourg, Holland Festival, Transit, Ars Musica, Huddersfield, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Académies Musicales de Saintes, Crete Senesi Collegium Vocale Ghent, Cité de la Musique Paris, Japan,…). With the WSO (WDR Köln) she was soloist in Speakings by Jonathan Harvey in Bochum during the Ruhr Trienale.

In addition, she participated in several "cross-over" productions, such as: Puzzled (Zefiro Torna and dance company ZOO/Thomas Hauert), Zones (Zefiro Torna/Triatu), Bachcrab (Zefiro Torna and ensemble Variances), Metamorphoses (with Aram Van Ballaert and Sara Vertongen), Heaven and hell, and a project around William Blake with classical musicians and a metal band.

Kristien Ceuppens also contributed to a CD by jazz musician Bruno Vansina (and a performance at Jazz Middelheim) and recorded with Spencer The Rover (The accident) and Aram Van Ballaert (including TV series Quiz me quick, Sinterklaas).

With her own ensemble Styx, founded in 2020, she aims to focus primarily on interdisciplinary productions and creations, in close collaboration with composers and artists. She has developed several projects, including a program centered on female composers with Jan Michiels, a collaboration with the composers’ collective KL-EX, and the project Kleptomania with jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Bruno Vansina: a fusion of jazz, Frank Zappa’s songs, and contemporary classical music.

She is part of the pool of musicians affiliated with Sounds for the Soul, an organization that uses music to support people going through difficult times. Kristien Ceuppens is the curator of the Begga Festival in Mechelen, a biennial event held in the Begijnhof church, with a focus on women.