Bart Jacobs (b. 1976) studied organ, harpsichord, and basso continuo with Reitze Smits and Kris Verhelst at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, graduating summa cum laude in 2000. He was subsequently appointed organist of the former Brussels Cathedral Choir under the direction of Erik Van Nevel.
Between 2006 and 2010, he received prizes at several major international organ competitions: First Prize at the Schnitger Competition in Alkmaar (becoming the first Belgian laureate), Third Prize at the Sweelinck Competition in Amsterdam, and Fourth Prize as well as the Audience Award at the Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges.
In 2012, Bart Jacobs was appointed titular organist of the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels. In addition to his concert activities, he is active as an organ teacher and as a committed promoter of the organ heritage in his home region of Klein-Brabant.
As a soloist and continuo player, he has performed extensively throughout Europe and collaborated with leading ensembles such as Vox Luminis, Les Muffatti, Il Gardellino, Utopia, A Nocte Temporis, and Psallentes. As organist of Vox Luminis, he has contributed to numerous award-winning recordings, receiving distinctions including CHOC de Classica, Gramophone Editor’s Choice, ffff de Télérama, and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
His discography comprises solo recordings on organ and harpsichord as well as numerous ensemble recordings. The CD featuring his own reconstructions of concertos for organ and strings by J. S. Bach, recorded with the baroque orchestra Les Muffatti for the Ramée lobel, proved an unprecedented success on the international classical music scene. This innovative project received several major awards, including the Diapason d’Or de l’Année 2019 (France), the Award for Best Belgian CD 2019 from Belgian Classical Radio, and a rating of 10 in Luister Magazine (The Netherlands).
In 2020, he recorded J. S. Bach’s complete Clavier-Übung III for the Organroxx label on the monumental Draps/Flentrop organ of Sint-Niklaas (Belgium), combining the organ works with sung chorales.
His 2022 album Recommended by Bach, released on the Ramée label and recorded on the new Contius organ in Leuven, was widely praised and described as one of the most genuinely original Bach recordings of recent years.
Together with Reitze Smits, Bart Jacobs forms the organ duo 422play (For Two to Play). The duo explores new sonic possibilities of the organ through original arrangements of works by Debussy, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Bruckner, and others. Their debut album, 422play in Brussels Cathedral, was released in July 2020 and recorded on the Grenzing organ of St Michael and St Gudula’s Cathedral in Brussels.
Bart Jacobs has collaborated with All of Bach, a project of the Netherlands Bach Society; his Bach interpretations on organ (St Bavo’s Church, Haarlem) and harpsichord are available at www.allofbach.com
He was co-founder and a driving force of the Flemish Harpsichord Association (2006–2021).
He teaches organ, harpsichord and basso continuo at the Academy for Music, Drama and Dance in Bornem (Antwerp) and at the LUCA School of Arts in Leuven.
In 2021, he was awarded the Culture Prize in his hometown of Bornem for his dedication to the organ culture.
For more information, please visit www.bartjacobs.eu
