About
Mark De Maesschalk began his musical journey at the age of ten in Ghent, Belgium, initially playing the recorder. By fourteen, he was composing his first melodies, discovering the joy of bringing the music in his head to life. Although he initially pursued a medical career, music remained his true passion, and he continued to study and perform whenever possible.
Over the years, he expanded his skills on multiple instruments including oboe, guitar, piano, harp, accordion and clarinet studying at music academies in Northampton (UK), Ghent and Eeklo (Belgium). Self-taught in harmonization and orchestration, he has composed over 200 works ranging from piano solos to large symphonic and choral compositions.
His primary passion is writing for large ensembles, where he channels life experiences, encounters and a wide spectrum of musical styles into vivid orchestral storytelling.
In 2023, his large symphonic work An Ancient Story - inspired by the Greek myth of Pyramus and Thisbe premiered with HarmoniKA, an ensemble of students and teachers from the Eeklo Academy.
Mark shares his music in the project "Tales In Music" and recently received the First Prize in Composition at the Vienna New Year's Concert International Music Competition. An honor for a self-taught composer to inspire his creativity and dedication to sharing music with the world.
