Researcher

A fascination with the American composer and lyricist Cole Porter, which led to the recording of five CDs with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, prompted Wilfried to pursue a PhD in the Arts at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (KCB)/Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He was awarded his degree in 2014 with the highest honours.

As part of his PhD research, he co-authored a chapter in A Cole Porter Companion (University of Illinois Press) and, together with Lou Demeyere and Simon Van den Brande, produced the documentary Looking for Cole, which was distributed worldwide by EuroArts and nominated for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

Wilfried went on concert tours with the Brussels Philharmonic (c. Otto Tausk) and the WDR Orchestra (c. Wayne Marshall), performing Porter’s greatest hits and unknown gems.

In 17 more intimate concerts in his home city of Antwerp, Wilfried recorded a total of 325 of Porter’s songs: by far the largest anthology to date. These recordings are available for free on the Cole Porter Anthology YouTube channel, where they serve as an accurate and, in the case of some rarities, singular reference for performers and students.

To mark the 125th anniversary of George Gershwin’s birth, Wilfried wrote and presented a podcast series about the composer as part of the ‘Zomer van Klara’ programme.

Together with pianist Bart Van Caenegem, he presented several concerts focusing on Gershwin’s body of work.

Wilfried is a lecturer in Musical Theatre Studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he focuses on the role research can play for young creators within the musical theatre landscape. Sondheim’s body of work is central to this approach.