Biography
Luc De Winter
Luc De Winter (°1966) has been practicing Zen since 1996. He received the monk ordination in the Sōtō Zen tradition in 2003 and has been a teacher in Antwerp since 2010, where he leads meditation sessions, introductions, workshops and group discussions several times a week and offers personal guidance; he also leads four retreats each year. Luc is regularly invited to give lectures and workshops on Zen and Buddhism, including by the City of Antwerp, the University of Leuven, De Bouworde, and by all kinds of schools and associations.
Studies
He graduated in organ, music history and composition at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, where his main teachers were Luk Bastiaens, Reitze Smits and Luc Van Hove .
Sandokai
Since 2009, Luc has been working closely with the Berkeley, California-based calligrapher, artist and translator Kazuaki Tanahashi (°1933). Based on his new authoritative English translations of the classic Zen texts (also in collaboration with internationally renowned Zen masters such as Joan Halifax and Taigen Dan Leighton), he wrote SANDOKAI - Zen & Polyphony, a series of 7 works for choir a capella, performed and recorded by Ensemble Polyfoon of Johan Geerts and Lieven Deroo.
Theater
He composed the music for the music theatre performance Liffey by director Tom Hannes, choreographer Alexander Baervoets and sound artist Ward Weis (Ghent, Kunstencentrum Vooruit—Minard Schouwburg, 2002 ).
Performers
Luc wrote music for and commissioned by various ensembles (Carré, Trio Aura, Ictus Ensemble, Ensemble Polyfoon, I Fiamminghi),, soloists (Lucy Grauman, Paul De Clerq, Frederik Croene, Veerle Peeters, Isabel Alonso Morillo, Tristan Driessens, Osama Abdulrasol, Lily Moons, Erwin De Bock, Lieselot Watté, Annelies Focqaert) and for the flute & piano duo Lindy Van den Berk and An Van Reeth. His music was performed at festivals such as November Music, Grenzenloos, De Gentse Feesten and the Festival Van Vlaanderen and was broadcasted by VRT radio and television and German Radio.
Aigo
AIGO - a ceremony for consort (second string quartet, lasting approximately one hour) was premiered by a viola da gamba quartet (Piet Stryckers, Piet Van Steenbergen, Lies Wyers & Pieter Vandeveire) in the Gothic Keizerskapel in Antwerp on November 11, 2011.
KANNON'S PILLOW
On 12 February 2012, the premiere of KANNON'S PILLOW by pianist Veerle Peeters followed. On this occasion, the CD recording of this work was also presented to the public. KANNON'S PILLOW is a suite in seven parts for piano (duration approx. 72') in which each part has its own place and function. The CD was extensively presented on Radio KLARA on 20 February.
SONGS FROM FIVE SCOOP HUT
A full-length song cycle SONGS FROM FIVE SCOOP HUT, based on poetry by the 18th century Zen master Ryokan Taigu in a new English translation by Kazuaki Tanahashi, premiered in Antwerp on October 19, 2013. The 14 songs were performed by Veerle Peeters and mezzo-soprano Els Mondelaers.
THE REGARDER OF SOUNDS
Film director Konrad Maquestieau made the short film THE REGARDER OF SOUNDS, based on the Kannon's Pillow album; this film premiered at Cinéma Galeries, Brussels (December 2013); it was presented in October 2014 in Antwerp (Roma hall) and in Amsterdam (EYE Film Museum).
Inspiration
Almost all of Luc De Winter's music is explicitly inspired by the living experience of Zen meditation: staying completely open, awake and alert in the present moment, a profound intimacy with existence spontaneously occurs, which is the gateway to total sobriety, complete freedom. He therefore sees his music as a continuation of his Zen teaching beyond words.
Current projects
Since 2018, Luc has been writing almost exclusively for organ, with or without singing voice. In August 2023, he began a 15-part organ work entitled Pelican Psalm; it will be completed in the course of 2025.
