Aerts, Peter

Aerts, Peter – In Flanders Fields, for voice and orchestra (first print)

(Kessel-Lo, 21 June 1912 – Stekene, 6 February 1996)

After receiving his first piano lessons from his aunt Jozefa Aerts (1872-1958), who was a piano teacher at the Royal Flemish Conservatoire of Antwerp, Peter Aerts began his official music training at that same institution. Because of financial problems, he had to quit his studies and he started working as a dental technician. Later however, he did take private lessons with Lodewijk Ontrop, Jef Schampaert and August L. Baeyens (orchestration) and eventually obtained degrees at the Antwerp Conservatoire in music theory with Jan Broeckx (first prize in 1936) and harmony with Edward Verheyden (second prize in 1943).

Around 1932 he became the accompanist of the mixed choir Kunst en Vermaak in Borgerhout (Antwerp), which was being led by the composer and conductor Jef Van Hoof (1886-1959) since 1929. In the 1930s this Flemish nationalist choir organisation was highly successful. Aerts befriended Van Hoof and together they toured Flanders to perform. Together with the author Emmanuel De Bom, the poet Edgar Denhaene and the author and campanologist Prosper Verheyden, Aerts belonged to the circle of artists that gathered at the Spokenhof in Boechout, a small castle that Van Hoof had bought at the end of 1921. Aerts would go on to orchestrate various pieces by Van Hoof. In 1939 Aerts became the conductor of the Jonc Vlaems Vri Vlaems choir in Sint-Niklaas. In addition, he worked as a pianist and accompanist for radio broadcasts of the NIR (National Institute for Radio Broadcasting) and the Vlanara (Flemish Nationalist Radio Union). He was also a much sought-after accompanist for song recitals. ..

Read full preface / English/Flemish/German > HERE