Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe is one of the most captivating and original soloists of
her generation. She knows how to enchant her audience with her expressive, lyrical and virtuoso
performances.
A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Annelien has won numerous international
competitions. Her joint Second Prize award at the ARD International Music Competition in
Munich in 2012 was a decisive step towards international recognition. She won a Borletti-
Buitoni Trust Award in 2018 and an Opus Klassik Award in 2020 with her debut album 'Belle
époque' (Pentatone).
Annelien’s concerto engagements for the 2025/26 season includes debuts with the Zurich
Chamber Orchestra, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra en Szczecin Philharmonic.
She has performed with many leading orchestras, including the DSO Berlin, the NDR
Radiophilharmonie, the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart, the
Münchner Kammerorchester, the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Residentie Orchestra Den Haag,
the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresdner
Philharmonic, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the Salzburg
Camerata, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Antwerp
Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony and
Philharmonic Orchestras.
Conductors like Andrew Manze, Martyn Brabbins, Joshua Weilerstein, Jac Van Steen, Michael Schønwandt,
Jun Märkl, James MacMillan, Mario Venzago, Darrell Ang, Finnegan Downie Dear, Ryan Bancroft,
Rafael Payare, Clemens Schuldt, Markus Stenz, Nuno Coelho, Thomas Dausgaard, Hartmut
Haenchen, Otto Tausk, Marta Gardolińska, Anja Bihlmaier, Kristiina Poska, Karina Canellakis, Edo
de Waart and Dirk Brossé invited her for several concerts.
Annelien Van Wauwe records exclusively for the Pentatone label. Her first album 'Belle époque'
with the Orchestre National de Lille conducted by conductor Alexandre Bloch, was released in
2019 and won an Opus Klassik in 2020. Her latest concerto recording ‘FLOW’ with the NDR
Radiophilharmonie under Andrew Manze contains basset clarinet concerti by Mozart and
Henderickx and was released in 2022.
A passionate chamber musician, Annelien founded the Brussels chamber music ensemble
CAROUSEL. Founded in 2019, the ensemble brings together twelve exceptional international
musicians.
Annelien's infectious passion and interest in new music have inspired several composers to
write music for her. In 2017, Manfred Trojahn dedicated his Sonata V to her. Annelien practices
yoga intensively, which strongly influences her clarinet playing and eventually led to a
composition commission for Wim Henderickx. The new piece SUTRA is based on breathing and
meditation. It was co-commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. The concerto
was premiered in 2022 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn
Brabbins. Future collaborations and premieres of clarinet concertos are planned with Benjamin
Attahir (Orchestre National d'Ile de France / Philharmonie de Paris) and Annelies Van Parys.
Annelien originally studied with Sabine Meyer in Lübeck, with Pascal Moragues in Paris, with Alessandro Carbonare in Rome and with Wenzel Fuchs and Ralf Forster in Berlin. She has also
participated in classes with her mentor Yehuda Gilad in Los Angeles. Annelien has a strong affinity for early music and studied historical clarinet with Eric Hoeprich in Paris and Ernst
Schlader in Trossingen.
