About

Pieter-Jan De Smet is a Belgian cellist, emerging as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. 

​

He is closely associated with the Ryelandt Trio and the Desguin Kwartet: Two award-winning ensembes with whom he has released several critically acclaimed albums under the Etcetera Records label. He regularly appears live on Klararadio, BRF, Musiq3 & France Musique and shares the stage with renowned musicians such as the Zemlinsky Quartet, the Rembrandt Frerichs Trio, Markus Stockhausen, Benjamin Glorieux, Werner Van Mechelen & Fred Hersch Trio. Since 2021, he regularly joins Le Concert Olympique, under the baton of Jan Caeyers.

​

Highlights of the next season include a collaboration with Goeyvearts String Trio, QEC laureate Thomas Blondelle, an extensive tour through Lebanon and Europe with Desguin Kwartet & the recording of a brand new album with Ryelandt Trio. 

​

As a well sought-after artist, he regularly performs in prominent concert halls such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, RadioKulturHaus (Vienna), Barbican Hall (London), La Monnaie, Flagey & BOZAR (Brussels), Concertgebouw Brugge, Palau de les Artes (Valencia) and the Felicia Blumental Concerthall (Tel-Aviv). Pieter-Jan frequently gets invited to perform at prestigious festivals such as Musica Antiqua Bruges, Arte Amanti Chamber Music Festival, Festival International de Quatuors à Cordes du Luberon, Klarafestival, Festival van Vlaanderen, Jazz Middelheim, Musikcollagen Darmstadt, Leuven Jazz, B-Classic Festival, Lunalia Festival, Belgian Music Days & ISA Festival Vienna.  

​

Pieter-Jan distinguishes himself by earning top prizes in several international competitions including Belfius Competition (1st prize), SUPERNOVA Chamber Music Competition (1st prize + audience prize), Concours International Léopold Bellan (1st prize), France International Music Competition (2nd prize), Buchet International Cello Competition (Laureate), amongst others. For his achievements he received the award for ‘Young Promising Talent’ of Sint-Niklaas. Recently he was awarded the Fuga Trofee 2022 for his commitment to Belgian repertoire by the Union of Belgian Composers. 

 

Pieter-Jan began playing the cello under guidance of Pieter Stas at the Music Academy of Bornem. After graduating at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp with France Springuel, he continued his studies with Anssi Karttunen at the ‘Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot’ in Paris and with Ursula Smith at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. He followed masterclasses with renowned cellists such as Gautier Capuçon, Daniël Müller-Schott, Claudio Bohorquez, Gustav Rivinius, Gavriël Lipkind, Xenia Jankovic, Jérome Pernoo, Roel Dieltiens and Pavel Gomziakov.

​

Pieter-Jan is currently teaching cello and chamber music in the Music Academies of Leuven & Harelbeke. He will join the strings faculty of Kunsthumaniora Brussel starting next academic year. 

​