Stef Minnebo

Stef Minnebo (born in 1958) is an educator specializing in classical and electric guitar, ensembles, and jazz theory at MAGO Antwerp and the Academy for Music, Word, and Dance in Heist-op-den-Berg. At the latter institution, he established the Jazz and Light Music Department and served as its coordinator for a decade. Between 1999 and 2009, he held the position of guest professor in arrangement & composition at Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp.

For 18 years, Stef was both a teacher and coordinator of the annual Jazz and Pop summer workshop in Dworp, operating under the umbrella of Jeugd en Muziek Antwerpen.

He played the role of guitarist in the North Side Bigband from 1990 to 2017 and has been involved as a guitarist, bassist, or conductor in various musical projects. As a composer and arranger, Stef boasts 65 published works spanning guitar, choir, youth ensembles, wind orchestra, and symphonic orchestra, in addition to a substantial collection of unpublished compositions. His signature style seamlessly weaves together elements from classical music, world music, and jazz.

In recognition of his artistic contributions, Stef was awarded the BAP (Belgian Artistic Promotion) prize by Sabam in 1993.

Notably, the Wik percussion ensemble clinched the world championship title in Kerkrade in 2009 with Stef's composition "Triangle," and in 2010, they secured the National Flame Championship with "Friendly Fire." In 2013, the composition "Red Star Line" had its premiere at De Singel, Antwerp, featuring the orchestra De Scheldezonen. The piece explores the historical theme of the shipping company that transported two million people from Antwerp to New York and Philadelphia between 1873 and 1935.

In 2016, Stef's creation "Les Ailes Rouges De La Guerre" debuted. This composition sets four texts by Emile Verhaeren to music for choir and strings, and there is also a version tailored for baritone and wind band.