Conductor and cellist Marc Michael De Smet studied at the Conservatories of Music in Ghent, Brussels, The Hague and Maastricht. He received his training as a conductor from Lucas Vis, with who he shares a passion for contemporary music. He also attended master classes with Franco Ferrara in Sienna, Italy, and with Laszlo Heltay.
As a composer he received lessons from the Belgian composer Norbert Rosseau, and the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. Besides writing a lot of music for theatre, he wrote more than 150 songs for voice and cello. In 1996 he composed the music for 'De Trojaanse vrouwen', a production of KNS. In 2001 he received the composer-prize of Oost-Vlaanderen for his composition ?Ter nagedachtenis?, five songs for soprano and cello.
During ten years he was assistant-professor of chamber music at the conservatories of Mons and Brussels
Now he is teaching at the Conservatory of Ghent (choir, choir conducting, vocal ensemble and chamber music).
In 1983 Marc Michael De Smet founded DE NIEUWE MUZIEKGROEP, a larger instrumental ensemble, with which he gave more than one hundred Belgian premieres and which he led for seven years. Concerts were given in Belgium and abroad. Recordings for broadcasting companies in Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands , Switzerland, etc.
In 1989 he conducted the premiere series of the scenic version of Karel Goeyvaerts?s opera ?Aquarius?, for chamber orchestra with the Dutch Aquarius-Ensemble. In addition, he has conducted film music (?Le huitième jour? de Jaco Van Dormael)
In 1995 he founded the Goeyvaerts Consort, now AQUARIUS, a chamber choir specializing in contemporary vocal music which, in a few years, built a solid international reputation. In the meantime he already gave concerts at several major Festivals in Belgium and abroad (France, The Netherlands, Germany, Estonia, Poland, Spain, etc.).
He also gave lectures about some important Belgian composers (Norbert Rosseau, Louis De Meester, Karel Goeyvaerts, Lucien Goethals). De Smet was awarded the Julien Roussel-Prize in 1988 and the Fuga-prize (Belgian Composers Organisation) in 2005 for the promotion of Flemish/Belgium music.
