Lunssens, Martin

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Lunssens, Martin

Lunssens, Martin, Belgian conductor and composer; b. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, April 16,1871; d. Etter-beek, Feb. 1, 1944. He studied with Gevaert, Jehin, and Kufferath at the Brussels Cons., gaining the First Belgian Prix de Rome in 1895 with the cantata Callirhoé; then became a prof. there. He subsequently was director of the Music Academy at Courtrai (1905-16); at Charleroi (1916-21), at the Louvain Cons. (1921-24), and finally at the Ghent Cons. (from 1924). He was also known as an excellent conductor; was in charge of the Flemish Opera in Antwerp, where he conducted many Wagner operas.

Works

4 syms., the first 3 with the programmatic titles Symphonie romaine, Symphonie florentine, and Symphonie française; symphonie poems (Roméo et Juliette; Phèdre; Le Cid; Timon d’Athènes); 3 violin concertos; Viola Concerto; Cello Concerto; much chamber music; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire