Nederlands Jan Huylebroeck
Jan Huylebroeck, also known as Michael Tildis, was born in Ostend on September 7, 1956. Huylebroeck began his professional career in 1975. He is not only a composer but also a pianist, percussionist (timpanist), organist, and conductor-arranger. Additionally, he plays numerous other instruments including the tuba, ophicleide, serpent, and trombone.
Jan Huylebroeck studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ghent where he obtained 6 final diplomas. He began his career as a piano teacher and accompanist at the municipal conservatories of Ghent and Bruges. Today, he still works as a piano accompanist at the Bruges conservatory, where he accompanies nearly all courses, both on piano and organ. He has performed as a celesta player, harpsichordist, orchestral pianist, and synthesizer player in orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of Flanders and the Beethoven Academy. His repertoire includes piano concertos by Gershwin, Roy Newsome, and Meindert Boekel.
As a timpanist, Jan Huylebroeck is active with various renowned orchestras, including Anima Eterna and La Petite Bande. Since March 2003, he has been appointed as principal percussionist and timpanist of the Symphony Orchestra of Flanders. As a composer, he writes chamber music works in various ensembles and has also composed a large number of musical arrangements.
Huylebroeck was the founder, musical, and business leader of the concert quartet CD-live. Established in 1987, its aim was to promote electronic instruments (synthesizers and digital drums) as full-fledged orchestral instruments. The concert trio Mannen Met Baarden, in which Huylebroeck is a member, aims to reach a younger audience through school performances. From 1995 to 1997, he served as conductor-musical director at the Royal Ballet of Flanders.
Jan Huylebroeck owns his own studio and production house, named Tasto Solo. This sole proprietorship specializes in creating digitally recorded music accompaniment, orchestrations, arrangements, compositions, renting out a number of musical instruments, and web design.
In his spare time, he enjoys working with vehicles. He holds a private pilot's license, operates diesel trains on a historic railway, maintains historic buses which he also drives, and has a fondness for his 1963 Renault Dauphine vintage car.
