Valerie has been Principal Flutist of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (Belgium) since 2006. She obtained her Master’s degree and Pedagogical Diploma with the highest distinction at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Antwerp (class of G. Van Riet), and her Artist Diploma in Flute Performance with the highest distinction at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA (classes of J. Baxtresser and A. Almarza).
She is a laureate of several international competitions, including the Pittsburgh Concert Society and the Myrna W. Brown International Flute Competition in Dallas, USA. Valerie has performed not only as a recitalist and chamber musician but also as an orchestral player in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Romania, the USA, and Japan. She is currently a member of the European Union Orchestra based in Bucharest. As a soloist, she has received favourable reviews from music critics, such as the Eastern Herald: “…a brilliant player with a refined tone, a versatile range of colours and an impressive virtuosity…”
After being invited to the International Instrumenta Verano Festival in Puebla, Mexico, in 2003, Valerie’s growing interest in flute pedagogy led her to become a Guest Lecturer at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels before taking up a post as Flute Professor at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Tilburg, which she held until 2020.
Presently, Valerie Debaele is Professor of Flute Performance at Conservatorium Maastricht and is regularly invited to give masterclasses across Europe.
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