Bio

Kevin Houben was born in 1977 in Peer, Belgium.  Houben acquired a passion for music from a young age, studying piano and trumpet. He obtained a.o. First Prizes for trumpet (Leon Pétré), hafabra and orchestral conducting (with Edmond Saveniers) and composition (with Jan Van der Roost and Luc Van Hove) at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, Belgium.

 

Houben’s music is a favorite in the repertoire of orchestras in Europe, America, Australia and Japan. Houben won various awards for his compositions (Arcana - Comines-Warneton 2003, Arcana - EBBA 2006, Thyelenne – EBBA 2009, Lux Futura - WASBE 2019). His compositions are frequently chosen as test piece in band competitions (Lake of the Moon – WMC Kerkrade 2013; Where Angels Fly - EBBA OOstende 2017). In March 2017, his first Symphony was premiered by the National Orchestra of Belgium.

 

For Tomorrowland, Houben wrote the orchestrations for both symphonic sets at the festival up to date (National Orchestra of Belgium in 2015, Symphony of Unity in 2019 & 2023).

 

Since 2020 he teaches Orchestration and Instrumentation at LUCA School Of Arts - Campus Lemmens together with Ivan Meylemans and he is since 2021 teacher of the Educational master in Conducting at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. (Belgium)

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Houben is also a renowned conductor, having worked with various professional orchestras and ensembles during recordings and concerts all over the world. In October 2018, he was musical director for the live symphonic performance at ‘Le Temps Perdu’ (Isabelle Beernaert, Carré Amsterdam). With his windband Koninklijke Harmonie Peer, he won various awards, among which the Flemish Open Wind Band Championship 2019; the band will defend the Belgian tricolor during the next European Championship for Wind Orchestras (France, 2022).