Eric Feldbusch
Desire Feldbusch was born on 2 March 1922 in Liège (Belgium). He later used the stage name "Eric Feldbusch" and he is now best known under this name. At the age of 8 Eric Feldbusch began to learn the cello, first by a friend of the family. At the age of 12 he was accepted at the Liège Conservatory and continued his studies under Hubert Rogister. Eric Feldbusch soon showed exceptional talent and earned many prizes and awards during his studies. In 1941 Eric Feldbusch was nominated as a student at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. There he completed his cello studies under Robert Maas. After World War II Eric Feldbusch also took cello lessons with Maurice Marechal in Paris to improve his playing.
After his studies Eric Feldbusch started a career as solo cellist. He participated in several cello competitions and most significantly became third place at the Hanus Wihan Cello Competition in Prague in 1950 (behind Rostropovich and Shafran). At this competition Eric Feldbusch also obtained the Public's Choice Award and he was the only cellist to receive 10 of 10 points for his interpretation of the Bach suites. That gave the start to a successful lifelong international career that brought Eric Feldbusch to concert houses in most European countries, the USA and more.
Beside his performances as a concert soloist Eric Feldbusch also was a member of several important chamber ensembles. Most notable are the "Quatuor Municipal de Liege" of which he was a founding member (together with Henri Koch, Emmanuel Koch and Louis Poulet) and the "Trio Reine Elisabeth" together wirth Carlo van Neste and Naum Sluszny.
In 1953 Eric Feldbusch was appointed cello professor at the Mons Conservatory which started his activities as a teacher. In 1963 he became director of the Mons Conservatory, in 1974 he fulfilled the same position at the Brussels Conservatory until his retirement in 1987.
In his later years - since 1964 - Eric Feldbusch also began to work as a conductor. He received conducting lessons from Fernand Quinet and Eleazar de Carvalho and since then became a regular guest conductor to several Belgian orchestras.
Eric Feldbusch also composed music since his childhood, and later received composition lessons by Fernand Quinet, Jean Absil and Victor Legley. His first opus dates from 1943, his student time. Since then Eric Feldbusch composed over 150 works for all genres. His song "Ma soeur pour l’éternité” received the composition prize of the Belgian Royal Academy in 1972.
Eric Feldbusch died on 30 August 2007 in Wavre (Belgium).
The work catalogue of Eric Feldbusch contains an opera, concertos for violin, cello and piano, a guitar concertino, many works for orchestra, a violin sonata, a cello sonatine, a Sonata di Chiesa for organ, 2 violins and cello, many songs and the ballet "El Diabolo Cojuelo".
Cinq pièces brèves
In my possession is the autograph full score of the composition "Cinq pièces brèves op.17" by Eric Feldbusch. The work is scored for piano and strings and was composed in 1957. According to my manuscript the work is dedicated to the Belgian conductor Julien Ghyoros. The first performance was done by the Société Bach d'Anvers under Georges Octors.
