Gert D'Haese studied at the Brussels Conservatory with Mr. Gert François, Robert Van Sice and Bart Quartier. He also took an intensive ethnic percussion course for 2 years with Mr. Frank Michiels. He obtained first prizes and higher diplomas for percussion and chamber music. During this period, he was part of Percussion Trio OXO with whom he did several concerts and recordings for then Radio 3. This trio became 2nd laureate of the Orfeus competition for contemporary chamber music in 1991. At this competition Gert became 1st laureate in 1993 in the soloist category.  

Experience as timpanist / percussionist

During his studies, he gained orchestral experience in the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Flanders, De Jonge Filharmonie, the concert band and symphony orchestra of the Brussels Conservatory, and Harmonie Sint-Cecilia Zele. Meanwhile, he also took his first steps in the professional orchestra scene with assignments in the BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra. More and more he got the opportunity to join several professional orchestras as percussionist and timpanist such as Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, De Filharmonie, I Fiamminghi, De Beethovenacademie, Il Novecento, National Orchestra of Belgium, and numerous chamber orchestras such as Spectra Ensemble, Champs d'Action, Musique Nouvelle, Oxalys .  

He was percussionist in the Night of the Proms in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Germany from 1989 to 2005. Here he performed with numerous pop and rock artists.  

He was also active in the orchestra L'Arco Musicale led by Dirk Brossé with whom he toured Flanders with numerous projects. On the program mainly music of the conductor himself such as Artesia, The Birth of Music, Le Soledad, recordings of film music for "Daens" and "Licht".  

Gert is currently active as permanent percussionist/ 2nd timpanist in the very successful Brussels Philharmonic.   

Experience / training conducting

Gert was interested in conducting from an early age. He was conductor of the Youth Band St-Cecilea Zele for 5 years. This was followed by the foundation of Brassband Zele where he was conductor for 8 years with many awards on his record of achievements: 1st laureate in Vlamo and provincial contests up to and including classification in the superior division, 1st laureate in 2nd division of the World Music Contest in Kerkrade.  

Meanwhile, in January 2000 he became conductor of Harmonie Kunst en Vreugd Beveren with which he was promoted to the superior division during the 2013 provincial subsidy tournament. Currently, this orchestra is ranked in the honorary division. This orchestra always guarantees surprising concerts at a high level.  

From 2009 to 2011 he was also conductor of the Kempisch Symfonisch Orkest.  

In between his professional activities, he also received intense conducting training: orchestral conducting in Brussels, hafabra conducting in Antwerp with Mr. Dirk De Caluwé and orchestral/hafabra conducting in Ghent with Mr. Dirk Brossé.  

Teacher

Teacher percussion / group music D'Academie Podium Sint-Niklaas.
Percussion teacher / audition practice KASK & Conservatorium.  

VLAMO

member of the Provinciale Stuurgroep Oost-Vlaanderen.
regularly asked to give workshops and as a juror for competitions.