Musicians - Joseph Jongen

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	Musicians - Joseph Jongen

Joseph Jongen (December 14, 1873–July 12, 1953) was a Belgian organist, composer, and music educator.

Jongen was born, in 1873, in Liège, Belgium where he was later to study at the Royal Conservatory. While a student at the Royal Conservatory, he won a prize from the Royal Academy of Belgium for a string quartet. In 1897, he won the Prix de Rome and spent the next four years traveling throughout Europe.

In 1902, he returned to Belgium and in the following year he was named a professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Royal Conservatory in Liège. In 1914, he and his family moved to England where he founded a piano quartet. After World War I, he returned to Belgium and was named professor of fugue at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. From 1925 until 1929, he served as director of the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. He composed a great deal of music, including symphonies, concertos, chamber music (including a late string trio and three string quartets), and vocal music. Today, he is best known for his Symphonie Concertante for organ and orchestra, a brilliant work considered by many to be among the greatest works for organ and orchestra. Jongen's style defied absolute description - it is reminiscent of several other composers, but does not really sound like any of them - it sounds like Joseph Jongen, perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid to any composer.

Joseph Jongen died at Sart-lez-Spa on July 12, 1953.

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