Anima Eterna

These achievements come as no surprise: with more than 70 LPs and CDs to his name since 1974 (Accent, CBS, Channel Classics, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, EMI, Erato, Globe, ...), Jos van Immerseel is far from a newcomer to the musical scene.

Each one of his recordings illustrates the innovative character of his performance, the thoroughness of his historical research, the richness of his choice of instruments, his inspired musicianship, technical mastery and creative conviction.

All of Jos van Immerseel's recordings are made with historical instruments together with pianist Claire Chevallier. He is an ardent defender of the necessity - to him obvious - of using instruments from the composer's lifetime, believing that they can translate masterpieces from the past most effectively into a deeply touching and comprehensible musical experience in the present: "Willst den Dichter Du verstehn, musst in Dichters Lande gehn." ("If you wish to understand the poet, you must travel to the poet's land").

Jos van Immerseel has built up an impressive collection of historical keyboard instruments. The collection is continually expanded and restored, making possible a new investigation of the keyboard repertoire through intensive study of the relationship between the compositions themselves and the instruments and techniques required for their interpretation. For this reason, the appropriate individual instrument always travels with him to each concert or recording location.

This attitude can also be seen reflected in Jos van Immerseel's work as a conductor, and that of Anima Eterna, the orchestra which he created in 1987.

From the beginning of his career, Jos van Immerseel has combined activities as pianist (studying under Eugene Traey) and conductor (student of Daniël Sternefeld). His particular talent in sight reading was rewarded in 1963 with a prize in the Bayerische Rundfunk's International 'Klavierspiel vom Blatt' competition. As a young man his interests extended already to vocal music, leading to singing studies with Lucie Frateur, and the organ, on which his studies with Flor Peeters were complemented by a strong influence from Marcel Druart and numerous study trips.

In 1964 he founded the Collegium Musicum, which experimented until 1968 in the field of early instruments (many of which were available through the Conservatory collection) and vocal settings, particularly for the baroque and renaissance periods. At the same time he devoted himself to a rediscovery of the clavichord before turning to the historical harpsichord, on which his studies with Kenneth Gilbert were crowned in 1973 with the Concert Diploma with Highest Distinction and an ovation from the jury.

During this period he had the opportunity to work on instruments from the Antwerp Vleeshuis Museum, two of which (Ioannes Dulcken 1747 and Conrad Graf 1826) he admits to be major influences in his musical development. A formative role was of course also played by exchange with fellow musicians such as René Jacobs, Sigiswald Kuijken, Jaap Schröder, Anner Bijlsma, Paul Van Nevel, Guy de Mey and Paul Dombrecht.

On the occasion of the first Paris Harpsichord Competition in 1973 he won not only the first prize from an unanimous jury, but was also discerned the audience prize. His unusual decision during the competition to perform on a period instrument (Ruckers-Taskin 1780) had important consequences for the subsequent development of the French harpsichord school.

Between 1970 and 1985, Jos van Immerseel concentrated his activities on the baroque repertoire, but began to broaden his scope with excursions into later periods - classical, romantic and impressionist. Particular points of interest were historical improvisation techniques and the parallels between rhetoric and music. A high point of these years was the now legendary reconstruction of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" in 1977, in which he directed a host of young baroque specialists who have since become famous in their own right. The 1980's also saw him invited frequently as guest conductor to the Dutch Chamber Orchestra and the Radio Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir.

Teaching also forms an important part of Jos van Immerseel's activities. His regular harpsichord and fortepiano teaching at the Antwerp Conservatorium takes place on the Vleeshuis Museum instrument collection, and his annual harpsichord workshop in the same museum attracts 250 students from all over the world. He is frequently invited by conservatories and universities throughout Europe, the United States and Japan for lectures, masterclasses and workshops.

For some years he taught regularly at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris, the Scola Cantorum in Basel and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. The artistic direction of this last institution was entrusted to him from 1982 to 1985, together with Ton de Leeuw.

Recently, a long cherished dream of Jos van Immerseel and Claire Chevallier turned into reality: the foundation of LABO 19. The purpose of this institution is to research and to document the performance practice of 19th century music. Many renowned musicians and scholars co-operate on this world-unique initiative.

Jos van Immerseel's versatility also extends to the tuning and maintenance of his own instruments, the publication of numerous articles in musicological reviews and the preparation of his own CD liner notes. He possesses an extensive reference library.

Since 1995 the Philharmonic Society of Brussels has honoured Jos van Immerseel with an annual cycle of concerts, in collaboration with the Kaaitheater