About

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

 

He is a core member of the award-winning ensembles Ryelandt Trio and Desguin Kwartet, with whom he has released several critically acclaimed albums under the Etcetera Records label. Pieter-Jan frequently appears on major radio networks such as Klara, BRF, Musiq3, and France Musique and performs with renowned artists, including the Zemlinsky Quartet, Goeyvaerts String Trio, Rembrandt Frerichs Trio, Fred Hersch Trio, Sabine Meyer, Markus Stockhausen, Benjamin Glorieux, and Thomas Blondelle. Since 2021, he frequently joins Le Concert Olympique under the direction of Jan Caeyers.

​

Upcoming highlights include a European and China tour with Desguin Kwartet and the release of two new albums with his chamber music ensembles. As a soloist, he will perform the Bach Cello Suites in collaboration with Theater Tieret and Anssi Karttunen, and he will join Le Concert Olympique on their Beethoven27 project. 

​

Pieter-Jan is a sought-after artist, performing in prestigious concert halls such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, RadioKulturHaus Vienna, Barbican Hall London, La Monnaie, Flagey, and BOZAR in Brussels, Concertgebouw Brugge, Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Guangzhou Opera House, Huangzhou Grand Theater, and the Felicia Blumental Concert Hall in Tel Aviv. His festival appearances include 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, and ISA Festival Vienna.

​

He has distinguished himself in numerous international competitions, winning top prizes at the Belfius Competition, SUPERNOVA Chamber Music Competition, Concours International Léopold Bellan, France International Music Competition, and Buchet International Cello Competition (laureate). He was honored with the 'Young Promising Talent' award of Sint-Niklaas and the 2022 Fuga Trophy from the Union of Belgian Composers for his dedication to Belgian repertoire.

​

Pieter-Jan began his cello studies under Pieter Stas at the Music Academy of Bornem and continued at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp with France Springuel. He further refined his craft with Anssi Karttunen at the École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot and Ursula Smith at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. He has participated in masterclasses with celebrated cellists including Gautier Capuçon, Daniël Müller-Schott, Claudio Bohorquez, Gustav Rivinius, Gavriël Lipkind, Xenia Jankovic, Jérome Pernoo, Roel Dieltiens, and Pavel Gomziakov.

​

Currently, Pieter-Jan teaches cello and chamber music at the Music Academies of Leuven, Brugge, and Harelbeke, and since 2023, he has been a member of the strings faculty at Kunsthumaniora Brussel. He performs on the ‘Papillon’ cello by Stijn van Aerschot, which he discovered at the 2022 Cello Biennale in Amsterdam.

​