Maarten Vandenbemden (1994) received his first guitar lessons from his father at the age of four, and under his guidance graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Overijse with the highest distinction, having additionally studied piano, ensemble-playing, music history and harmony theory.
He won the first prize for guitar in the 2011 Dexia Classics competition, and in summer 2013 was handed the ‘Special Prize for Best Interpretation’ by Štěpán Rak at the international guitar contest in Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic.
Since 2011 he has been studying guitar in Antigoni Goni’s class at the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels, which he combines with a course on musical notation.
In November 2013 he was selected to be the soloist in Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez there, with the Symponia Assai conducted by Wouter Lenaerts. He has attended master-classes given by, among others, Konrad Ragossnig, Yves Storms, Ian Watt, Sharon Isbin and Sergio Assad.
Maarten is currently combining his first year on the Master’s courses in Guitar and Musical Notation at the conservatoires in Brussels and Naples.