Our conductors
Claude Schlim 2016 -
Born in Luxembourg, Claude Schlim began his euphonium studies at the Conservatory of the City of Esch-sur-Alzette in the class of Robert Weyland and Rudy de Bouw until obtaining the Concert Diploma.
At the same time he earned his First Prize in orchestral conducting in the class of Fred Harles. He also obtained First Prizes in piano, chamber music, sight-reading, harmony, orchestration and methodology.
He attended the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels in the class of José Schyns and finished with a Master's degree in Music. At the same time, he took refresher courses with renowned teachers such as Robert B. Childs, Steven Mead, Olivier Haas and Nick Ost.
He regularly performs in concert, in Luxembourg and abroad, with various musical ensembles and orchestras, such as the Trio Aurora, the Luxembourg Tuba Consortium, the Quatuor Heavy Tubes. He is a professor at the Esch-sur-Alzette Conservatory and produces compositions and arrangements for various ensembles and large orchestras.
Since 2003 he is musical director of the Harmonie Eischen and since 2016 he is conductor of the Brass Band of the Esch-sur-Alzette Conservatory.
Guy Conter 2007-2016
Born in July 1963 in Esch/Alzette, Guy Conter did his first musical studies at the Esch-sur-Alzette Music Conservatory where he studied the cornet and the trumpet with MM. Fred Harles, Robert Weyland and Joël Sand as well as writings with Mr. Roland Wiltgen.
In 1982, after his general studies, he continued his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels with L.-J. Vannetelbosch trumpet, Y. Ducène reading & transposition, M. Pendville solfège, obtaining certificates of aptitude in Pedagogy, reading & Transposition Musical analysis, Harmony and History of music. Advanced courses with Dino Tomba, Pierre Thibaut, Philip Jones, James Watson, Timofei Dokshitzer, Reinhold Friedrichs, Luc Capouillez, and Malte Burba completed his musical horizons.
In 1993, he was appointed professor at the Music Conservatory of the City of Esch-sur-Alzette, teaching the courses of Trumpet / Cornet / Saxhorns, Reading & Transposition and Chamber Music (winds). Member of the Brass-Band of the Conservatory of Esch / Alz. since 1977 under the direction of its founder Mr. Fred Harles, he occupied until 2007 the position of "Principal Solo Cornet" having thus had the unique opportunity to accompany internationally renowned soloists.
Founding member of the "Clarasius", "Symphonic Brass Letzebuerg", "Not Just Brass" "Crazy Eight" ensembles, he occasionally performs in concert with various formations such as the "BBC National Orchestra of Wales", the chamber orchestra "Solistes Europeans, Luxembourg”, the “Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg”, the “Estro Armonico” and the chamber orchestra “St .Jean Baptiste in Refrath/Bergisch-Gladbach/Germany”.
Fred Harles 1973-2007
Fred Harles, Honorary Director of the Esch/Alzette (L) Conservatory, founded the brass band in 1973.
Musical studies: - at the Conservatory of the City of Esch/Alzette with Jeannette Braun-Giampellegrini, Jos Asselborn, Leopold Winandy, Gustave Reimen and Pierre Schonckert - at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in the class of Professor Julien Vanettelbosch, with Leonce Gras, Van den Plas and Louis Poulet - at the Music Academy in Saarbrücken.
Fred Harles taught music and trumpet at the Esch Conservatory from 1968 (as professor from 1970-1978) – he was also assistant in the trumpet class at the Royal Brussels Conservatory from 1973 to 1983. For more than 20 years he has taught master classes in Austria.
He appeared as a soloist in Luxembourg, Germany and Austria and gave concerts with the internationally renowned Adolf Scherbaum and his baroque ensemble.
In 1978 he received his nomination as Director of the Esch Music Conservatory and held this post until his retirement in 2011. He primarily promoted music teaching in Luxembourg and the revalorization of the status of music pedagogues in Luxembourg.
The importance of brass instruments has always been close to Fred Harles' heart - in this sense he founded several ensembles such as e.g. the "Quatuor de trompetes luxembourgeois" and the "Luxembourg Brass Ensemble" (which still performs today, of course with a different cast) and the Brass Band of the Escher Conservatory, which continues to perform. He is also the founder of the Conservatory's Harmony Orchestra, which he conducted for years alongside the Brass Band, and the String Orchestra.
In Luxembourg, Fred Harles was instrumental in the drafting of the law on music education - as well as in the harmonization of music education in the conservatories and music schools - he was a founding member of the board of directors and president of this body. He was also President of the National Program Committee. As director he worked with the conservatories of Metz, Nancy, Mons, Liège, Brussels and Saarbrücken with Hans Lonnendonker and Adolf Scherbaum. Under his initiative, the Young Orchestra of the Greater Region was established, an orchestra that brought together students from these various conservatories for a week's orchestra work each year. In addition to the Harmony Orchestra and the Brass Band of the Conservatory, he also conducted the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra several times and worked with soloists such as Vitali Samoshko (piano); Philippe Koch (violin) Maurice André, Timothy Dokshitzer, Reinhold Friedrich, Philip Jones, Dino Tomba, John Wallace (trumpet) ; Don Lusher and Gilles Senon (trombone), Bob Childs, David Childs, (euphonium)