A Life in Crossover

Cedric’s life could perhaps best be described as a story of crossovers.

His musical journey began at the age of six, when he first picked up the violin and quickly fell in love with the great classical composers: Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven and many others. During his teenage years, playing in youth orchestras opened the door to the vast world of symphonic music, allowing him to perform major works by composers such as Stravinsky, Bartók and Prokofiev.

Before long, Cedric also became interested in conducting. He regularly stepped in for conductor Michel Tilkin with the Brussels International Youth Orchestra, discovering yet another way of shaping music from within.

At the same time, another musical world was quietly opening up.Growing up in a household where the “music of the devil” was strictly off limits, Cedric began secretly listening to pop and rock music. He became fascinated by the possibilities of music production, the raw energy of drums and the freedom of expression that seemed so different from the classical world he knew.

His first student job was at Brussels Airport — fittingly, since at the time he was seriously considering becoming an airline pilot. Instead, his first earnings went towards something quite different: a drum kit.

Soon afterwards, he formed a band with some school friends called Dionysus. Their music was loud, energetic and guitar-driven — what today would most likely be described as grunge.

The foundations were already there: classical music and pop, violin and drums, orchestra and band, interpretation and creation. What might have seemed like completely separate musical worlds would gradually become the defining thread throughout Cedric’s career