‘La baronne compose’: songs and chamber music by baroness Jacqueline Fontyn

A research project by Pauline Lebbe — Jan Dewilde (supervisor)

2019

A black-and-white photo of a woman with wavy hair among tree leaves, smiling slightly.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white sweater and jewelry, stands outside with a modern building with glass windows in the background.

For centuries, the position of women in music history has been minimised and marginalised. Even today, female composers and performers are often reduced to the muses, sisters, wives or mistresses of their male counterparts. Yet women such as the Antwerp composer Jacqueline Fontyn (b. 1930) produced work of the highest quality, built successful international careers and had a significant impact on musical life in Belgium and Antwerp.

This research project seeks to lift the life and work of Jacqueline Fontyn, an alumna and former teacher of the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, out of the shadow of her male colleagues, and to reappraise and give due value to her in her own individuality. The research focuses in particular on her songs and chamber music. In the run-up to the festivities marking her 90th birthday, this will give rise to showcases, performances, lectures, and the publication of articles, score editions and a book.