Seppe Gebruers

Seppe Gebruers (born May 9, 1990) is a Belgian musician, composer and improvisor. He is also a teacher and researcher at KASK conservatory Ghent. Gebruers plays both solo and in bands. His work ranges from jazz to contemporary classical music.

Since his first concerts at the age of twelve Gebruers has gained a reputation as a musician. Currently, he investigates the possibilities of quartertones in piano, composition and improvisation.

Early life Gebruers started to play classical piano when he was 8 years old, but soon became interested in jazz. Jef Neve became his teacher and at age 12 he played in Belgium and abroad with his pianotrio (with Jakob Warmenbol and Nathan Wouters). In 2004 he performed at Sportpaleis for Night of the Proms. The same year he won a grant for Young Musical Talent.

At age 17 he shared the stage with Jim Black and Andrew D'Angelo and met musicians such as Kris Defoort, Bill Carrothers, Eric Thielemans, and Jozef Dumoulin.

At the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp he studied both jazz (with Erik Vermeulen) and classical piano (with Levente Kende). Gebruers started his education with a clear vision: "I knew which direction I wanted to go in: I wanted to make contemporary music that sounds intuitive."

While Gebruers often clashed with the traditional ways of the academy, he quickly developed a strong connection with Vermeulen. The latter quickly concluded that 'he had nothing left to teach' and the teacher-student relation soon developed into one of musical sparring partners.

Later life and career Gebruers was the leader of the large ensemble Ifa y Xango which won the 2011 Jong Jazztalent Gent award and performed at Gent Jazz in 2012.

Their "irreverence, brought about by a sense of quasi-naïve frankness, would become the group's and Gebruers' trademark".

Their first album 'Abraham' was selected by New York City Jazz Record (US) as 'Best Debut Releases 2013'. Their second album 'twice left handed \\ shavings' (2015) experiments with electronic music. Here Gebruers plays with electronic instruments and live sound processing.

In these years, Gebruers also collaborated closely with his teacher Erik Vermeulen. They formed a piano duo and in 2013 they released their album 'Antiduo'. Later, the duo became a quartet with drummers Marek Patrman and Eric Thielemans, resulting in the album 'Rorschach' (2019).

About Gebruers' performance in 'Antiduo', the press wrote:

"Mean, against the grain, and unhindered by standard musical practice, Gebruers develops an unfettered entity, which is not in the least bit concerned about what is allowed or taboo, or the way things are supposed to be." Together, they play four differently tuned piano's. In 2018, Gebruers' played a piece composed by Charlemagne for the carillon in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.

Other collaborations include Evan Parker, Paul Lytton, Robin Verheyen and Nate Wooley.

Microtonality

Currently, Gebruers' major project is the exploration of microtonality. For this, he plays and improvises with two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart.

In 2019 he started a research project at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, titled 'Unexplored possibilities of contemporary improvisation and the influence of microtonality in the creation process'. Referring to the project, Gebruers commented, "tuning the pianos a quartertone apart, I play with our collective artificial habit: the equal temperament. Since J.S. Bach's Das wohltemporierte Klavier, the custom in Europe is to have twelve equal semitones in one octave; a uniform system of tuning that still dominates Western music. Adding quartertones, one octave is divided into twenty-four equal intervals, multiplying the harmonic possibilities. Thus, our playmate – tonality – who had become a self-evident tool, is brought to the fore. I do this both to question the tradition and out of love for it."

in "the choice to play each keyboard with only one hand ... the possibilities of microtonality reach their full disorienting potential. Placing two differently tuned pianos next to or across one another makes playing "right" and "off-key" lose all their meanings, and allows the music to unfold in all its kaleidoscopic glory" (Koen van Meel)

With two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart Gebruers recorded 'The Room: Time & Space' (2018) in a trio formation with drummer Paul Lovens and bassist Hugo Anthunes.

In his solo project 'Playing with standards' (album release January 2023), Gebruers plays with famous songs including jazz standards. With Paul Lytton and Nils Vermeulen he forms a 'Playing with standards' trio.

Literature

A plea for polyphony Seppe Gebruers critiques the professionalisation of the arts, particularly the music industry, for prioritising commercial and ideological agendas over authentic, transformative experiences in music. He questions the current relationship between artist, audience, and the cultural institutions that mediate this interaction, suggesting that these dynamics compromise the essence of musical creativity.

The Impact of Professionalisation

Gebruers observes that the arts are increasingly driven by consumerist goals, with agencies, curators, and managers shaping what is created and how it is received. He notes:"Music is often created as a made-to-order product, tailored to the vision of the curator or what is deemed commercially successful." This professionalisation places musicians in a precarious position, forcing them to cater to industry standards rather than pursue their artistic visions. He warns of a cultural climate where aesthetic complexity is sacrificed for ideological and logistical concerns, reducing art to something easily consumable and marketable.

Authenticity vs. Presentation A recurring theme in Gebruers' essay is the conflict between authentic artistic expression and the pressure to present one's work in a comprehensible, polished format. He laments the loss of "tasting" in music—a dynamic, experiential engagement:"Once the musician identifies with a ‘taste,’ it becomes a conscious product that can be consumed as a fashion. Taste is no longer in the constant motion of tasting and adjusting." Later also published by Troika's Youtube channel with English subtitles.

Compositions Gebruers created music for films: Het zwijgen van elena (2012), The Reconstruction (2016), and Etangs Noirs (2018) and for several theatre pieces by Tibaldus].

Awards SABAM Jazz Award ‍2014 "a great musical daring and striking curiosity that go beyond the usual formulae" (the Sabam Awards) Best Debut record 2012, 'Abraham' by Ifa y Xango selected by the New York City Jazz magazine. Jong Jazz Talent 2012, Ifa y Xango, Gent Jazz.

As a teenager:

My First Night 2004 (First Prize of the piano competition of the Night Of The Proms Belgium, Sportpaleis) Music Live 2004 – Jeugd & Muziek (with the trio 'Jazzfact with Jakob Warmenbol & Nathan Wouters)

Discography