News

NEW PRESIDENT OF THE COMPETITION JURY
Korneel is proud to have been appointed the new president/chair of the jury for the international harpsichord competition of the famous MAfestival in Brugge! Upcoming edition is in August 2023 -- applications are open now, all info to be found at macompetition.com/about/the-competition.
SEASON 2022-23 CALENDAR UPDATE
Guest conductor at Les Talens Lyriques (debut) and Brussels Philharmonic (debut)
Conductor at Symphony Orchestra of the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp
Continuo at Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam (debut), Les Talens Lyriques, Brussels Philharmonic (debut), Il Gardellino
Choir master at Collegium Vocale Gent
Pianoforte recital (debut) with soprano Lieselot De Wilde
Harpsichord recitals in Antwerp and Lier
Harpsichord masterclasses in Antwerp and Namur
Professor of harpsichord in Antwerp
CD-recordings...
LAST-MINUTE GUEST CONDUCTOR WITH LES TALENS LYRIQUES
Korneel is happy to have been invited to step up as guest conductor of Les Talens Lyriques in Aix-en-Provence, at the Festival d'Art Lyrique's famous Académie, replacing his mentor Christophe Rousset in Pergolesi's dramma sacro around the conversion of San Guglielmo. Concert with the young singers of the Résidence de chant on July 7th.
https://festival-aix.com/en/event/les-talens-lyriques
NEW SOLO CD on the Dulcken 1747 harpsichord.
Release: 24 Sept 2021
Radio Klara: 18 Oct 2021
Concert: 29 Nov 2021 at Museum Vleeshuis Antwerp
ASSISTANT-CONDUCTOR at il Teatro allo SCALA
Korneel is currently (Sept-Nov 2021) working in Milano as assistant-conductor of Christophe Rousset, for Cavalli's opera La Calisto, at the famous Scala Opera House.
 Together with compagnon-de-route since more than 12 years, cellist and gambist Ronan Kernoa, we recorded five pieces by Antoine Forqueray back in November 2020.
Enjoy the first video here: a wonderfully charming chaconne -- the rest can watched on Ronan's and my Youtube channels!
BACH: HARPSICHORD CONCERTOS
Korneel Bernolet & Apotheosis in the D minor harpsichord concerto, and together with Ewald Demeyere in the C major double harpsichord concert.
BACH: DAS WOHLTEMPERIRTE CLAVIER BOOK 1 PART 1
Concertgebouw Brugge initiated a complete performance cycle of Bach's Well-Tempered Keyboard with four international harpsichordists of the new upcoming generation: Korneel Bernolet, Elina Albach, Andrea Buccarella, and Olga Pashchenko. We were unable to perform live, but the concerts were streamed onto the new Flemish culture tv channel 'Podium 19'.
Jan 2020 | NEW COLLABORATION with Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Ghent!
Korneel has been invited as chorus master with Collegium Vocale Ghent and/or continuo player in the orchestra accompanying these productions, conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Repertoire includes Haydn's Schopfung and Bach's St Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass, orchestras are Collegium Vocale, Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and Staatskapelle Dresden.
NEW CD RELEASE: Lully's Isis
Christophe Rousset conducts Les Talens Lyriques, with Korneel Bernolet as assistant and continuo.
Summer 2019 | NEW CD RELEASE AND PRODUCTION: Pygmalion!
Apotheosis has released a new CD: PYGMALION, around the acte de ballet by Rameau and the monodrama by G. Benda. Recorded by Rainer Arndt for Ramée (Outhere), featuring Philippe Gagné (Pigmalion) and Norman Patzke (Pygmalion), three other soloists, and the Apotheosis Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Korneel Bernolet. Performed live in a staged version (choreo by Femke Gyselinck) at MAfestival Bruges in August 2019, at Concertgebouw Brugge.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6yWNMuY8YT1n9KizyS8nxC
CD REVIEWS:
  • "Qu’elles sont riches les sonorités de ce Pygmalion grace au Apotheosis Orchestra et son chef Korneel Bernolet, l’ensemble nous livre un chef d’œuvre sans fausses notes.
    La voix de Philippe Gagné est sublime, d’une netteté implacable et une articulation parfaite. C’est un réel plaisir de l’entendre." (Classique HD)
  • Clic de Classique News! "Pour l’articulation et le relief expressif de l’Orchestre, chez Rameau principalement, le présent cd remporte le CLIC de CLASSIQUENEWS de la rentrée 2019. De toute évidence, Korneel Bernolet est notre nouveau champion chez Rameau : talent désormais à suivre. Le jeune chef et claveciniste a une imagination saisissante servie par une somptueuse élégance du geste : nous n’avions pas remarqué telles qualités ni finesse depuis l’intelligence des Kuijken, Bruggen, Christie…" (Classique News)
  • "One wonders when the trend [of historically informed music performance] will reach its peak. After hearing Korneel Bernolet, the Apotheosis Orchestra, and Philippe Gagné’s recent recording of Rameau’s “Pigmalion”, the answer is a resounding “not yet.” The relative newcomers on the Baroque scene have given us a wonderfully fresh and vibrant account of this opera." (The Classic Review)
  • "Das auf dramatische Musik fokussierende Apotheosis Orchester lässt die facettenreiche Musik Rameaus nuancenreich aufleben und umrahmt so sehr gut den Text des Sprechers. Unter der Leitung von Korneel Bernolet entwickeln Orchester und Stimmen ein spannendes Gegenüber auch in Rameaus facettenreichem Werk." (Pizzicato LU)
  • "Een daverende verrassing, deze nieuwe Pygmalion. Bernolet laat zijn orkest dansen en ik dans mee. Gagné is een prachtige haute-contre en wordt aangevuld door de heldere en sprankelende stemmen van de vrouwen." (Oblivion Soave)
  • Doch jetzt kommt der aufstrebende belgische Dirigent Korneel Bernolet mit seinem Apotheosis Orchestra um die Ecke – und katapultiert sich mit dieser Neuaufnahme auf Anhieb an die Spitze! Gemeinsam mit Tenor Philippe Gagné als Pygmalion geht Bernolet die Musik mit schwungvoller Impulsivität, aber eben auch mit der nötigen Aufmerksamkeit für die harmonischen Kühnheiten selbst in den Arien an, dass es nur so eine Freude ist. (Rondo Magazin)
Apr.-May 2019 | AUSTRIALAN DEBUTS AND TRIUMPHS!
Korneel was featured artist during the Canberra International Music Festival 2019's festive Bach edition. Just before, he was invited at Sydney University / Conservatorium of Music to teach masterclasses and play a French baroque recital. His calendar included three solo recitals (one French, one Bach and contemporaries preludes & fugues, and one with die Kunst der Fuga), Bach's D minor Harpsichord Concerto, Haydn & Beethoven piano trios (on two original square pianos), and conducting several cantatas and the fabulous St John Passion. Some reviews:
  • "The concert’s first half came to a close with Bach’s Concerto for Harpsichord in D Minor, BWV 1052, the sound of the harpsichord seeming to expand to fill the spotlight, Bernolet bringing an arresting intensity to the relentless drama of Bach’s sequences and the strings of quick-decay harpsichord notes corralled into drones. The Adagio in particular was achingly beautiful." (Limelight Magazine, D Minor Harpsichord Concerto)
  • "... the harpsicord concerto, BWV1052, follows, with Korneel Bernolet doing a masterful job as soloist." (Citynews.au, D Minor Harpsichord Concerto)
  • "Directed by Korneel Bernolet, the Bach Akademie Australia, led by Madeleine Easton with nine solo voices, gave a shining and memorable performance of this glorious and highly emotional work." (Citynews.au, St John's Passion)
  • "... the performance crystallised into a marvellously. expressively blended whole, bringing great sensitivity, drama, and – well – passion to the mood of the piece. (...) Korneel Bernolet conducted the performance from the harpsichord and drew an understated sense of serenity, with touches of solemnity and sadness, as well as drama and hope from his musicians. He painted vivid images with his expression and sensitivity, underscoring the many moods of the work. This almost two-hour performance was given without a break – a test for any audience (not to mention musicians). But the performance was such that it held the audience almost breathless throughout. In the end, it was a standing ovation for what became an evening of very fine music-making." (Limelight Magazine, St John's Passion)

Mar. 2019 | Rehearsals and four performances of Mozart's opera La Finta Giardiniera in Ghent. Students of the International Opera Academy directed by Gemma Beltrán, the Apotheosis Orchestra conducted by Korneel Bernolet.
Jan. 2019 | Happy New Year! A year full of opera to look forward to -- more info on the concert agenda. 2019 will also mark my Australian début as recitalist and guest conductor of the Bach Akademie Australia while I am invited as featured artist at the Canberra International Music Festival. On the picture with the festival's artistic director, Roland Peelman.
Apr. & Jun. 2018 | Vive Couperin! | In a series of 8 videos, birthday boy François Couperin is featured on the original Dulcken 1747 harpsichord at Museum Vleeshuis, Antwerp, under the hands of Korneel Bernolet.
Korneel gave a duo recital with Christophe Rousset at Musikfestspiele Potsdam, playing three suites from Les Nations in Couperin's prescribed version for two harpsichords
Mar. 2018 | New CD release
Music from the circle around Leonora Duarte in Antwerp, c.1640.
I recorded four virginal solos by John Bull, including the famous Fantasia Sexti Toni and a newly discovered alternative version of 'Dr. Bull's Jewel': 'Courante Het Juweel'. All played on my fantastic muselaar replica by Walter Maene after the original Couchet, currently at Museum Vleeshuis in Antwerp.
Listen to the beginning of each CD track here!
Feb. 2018 | My first three Beethoven 9's were a huge success, with the concerts in Bruges Concertgebouw and Frankfurt Alte Oper completely sold-out, approximating 5.000 people in the audiences for my début with Anima Eterna Brugge and Collegium Vocale Gent. Concertgebouw Brugge live-streamed the performance on Saturday 24 February 2018, watch it on Youtube:
Jan. 2018 | "Korneel Bernolet is to be Anima Eterna Brugge's guest-conductor in the big Beethoven project at Concertgebouw Brugge and Alte Oper Frankfurt next month! Korneel Bernolet --one of the young talents supported by the ‘Anima Next Generation’ program-- has collaborated with Anima as an assistant-conductor at several occasions, among which the Beethoven tour in Mexico back in October 2015. Now he’s stepping up to lead the orchestra, Collegium Vocale Gent and soloists Suh Yeree, Isabelle Rejall - Mezzosopran, Markus Schäfer and Thomas Bauer through the monumental “9th” and the Chorfantasie. Korneel himself, as well as Anima-founder Jos Van Immerseel and the musicians are very much looking forward to this occasion, especially since Korneel’s Fingerspitzengefühl for the great choir repertoire is outright terrific... A debut not to be missed!" (source: Anima Eterna Brugge's Facebook page)

Dec. 2017 | The latest Apotheosis production, in collaboration with three oratorium choirs conducted by Korneel and performing Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem and Mendelssohn's 'Hör mein Bitten', was a great success, with around 2.500 people attending our concert series.

Nov. 2017 | The new Apotheosis CD with cantatas by Nicolas Bernier has been released and is collecting raving reviews on the international scene! Watch our first trailer here:

Mar. 2017 | "The Royal Conservatoire Antwerp has appointed Korneel Bernolet as Professor of Harpsichord. He follows in the footsteps of Kenneth Gilbert, Jos van Immerseel and Ewald Demeyere. He will be teaching on the instrument collection of Museum Vleeshuis with the famous fabulous original Dulcken 1747 harpsichord." (source: www.ap.be)