(b. 19 August 1971, Brussels).

Belgian composer of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in Europe.

Mr. De Ruysscher initially studied harpsichord building and lute building with Geert Vermeiren. He then studied composition with Brian Elias, jazz guitar with Ivor Goldberg and jazz harmony with Merlin Rhys-Jones and Ed Speight at the Musicians Institute of the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1993–94. He also studied music theory at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and film scoring with Marco Werba at the International Music Institute in Rome in 1999.

He is also active in other positions. He briefly worked as music critic for a newspaper in Flanders and has written articles and essays for CinéQuaNon and Soundtrack. He is a frequent contributor to Film Score Monthly. He has worked as a press officer for the festival Ars Musica in Brussels, as a librarian for the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, as a scientific researcher at the Musée des instruments de musique in Brussels, and as communications manager for deFilharmonie in Antwerp.

He taught guitar at the Kessel-Lo Music Workshop De Vlier and lectured on film music at the Université libre de Bruxelles in 1997–98.

In addition to the works listed below, Mr. De Ruysscher has composed scores for more than 40 films for students attending the film programmes at different academies, colleges and universities in Belgium since 1995.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

Scherzo du ballet Psyché, organ, 1998

Quicksandpaper Part I (ballet music), 8 clarinets, 1999

Felix (genetic opera, libretto by the composer), soloists, small orchestra, 1991–2004

Ferguut (opera, libretto by the composer), soloists, orchestra, 2004

ORCHESTRAL:

Danse des Naïades, 1996

Sunset in the Far West and other Movie Favorites, 1993–2001

Burgundic Dances, large orchestra, 2001

Cheese Concertino, 2002

Symphonic Studies for 'Felix' and 'Ferguut', 2003–04

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Nosferatu, string quartet, 1995

Palazzo, oboe d'amore, ensemble (flute, oboe, bassoon, harpsichord, 2 violins, any number of cellos, any number of double basses), 1996

Cave of Swimmers, oud (lute from the Middle East), 1998

Theme, Variations and Fugue, any number of players, 1995–2000

Victoria, alto recorder, electric piano, 2000

Still-Los, 8 pens, 2002

Méandres, any number of players, 2002–03

Pandemie, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, synthesizer/fixed media, 2002–03

duerF, violin, piano, 2003

Het Meisje Kijkt, flute, oboe, clarinet, 2 French horns, trumpet, harp, cello, double bass, piano, celesta, xylophone, 2004

VOCAL:

Mass, 2 equal voices, 1994

Max and the Bear (music story, text by the composer), speaker, small orchestra, 1999–2001

PIANO:

Passacaglia, 1995–96

Mi pare di abitare da queste parti, 2001

Schadenfreude, 2003

HARPSICHORD:

Le Miniaturiste, 1997

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Nebula 1, fixed media, 1996