Evy Van Dongen - Music for Kids Leuven

Director and Expert in gifted education

Evy studied at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven with Greet Severens and at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp with Walter Boeykens. She obtained her Master's Degree in Clarinet in 2005 and her Teacher's Degree in Music with high distinction. She continued her professional music training at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Nick Rodwell and Andrew Marriner, where she received her Postgraduate Performance Diploma Clarinet in 2007. She took private lessons and master classes with renowned musicians such as Michael Collins, Karl Leister, and Pascal Moraguès. In 2006, Evy became laureate of the '2nd International Clarinet Competition "Saverio Mercadante"' in Turi, Italy. She also already obtained prizes at the Belgian Lions Club competition and the 'Geoffrey Hawkes Buffet Crampon Clarinet Prize 2006'.  In 2005, she received the Harold Wrickley Alcock Award in London.

In 2009 she and Ensemble Houthandel BE won the Youth and Music Prize Chamber Music of the 4th Edition Gouden Vleugels (with Klara and De Standaard). From 2008 to 2017, Evy worked intensively with Ensemble Houthandel with Jeugd en Muziek Vlaanderen. Ensemble Houthandel had a nice educational offer with workshops, school performances, and family concerts. The ensemble realized CD recordings with Klara and the international label Navis Classics.

From 2012 until 2022, Evy was clarinetist with the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides. She also works regularly as 1st clarinet with various symphonic orchestras, such as Prima La Musica, Casco Phil, and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, among others. She also used to play as a guest clarinetist with the Orchestra de Munt, Philharmonie Zuidnederland and Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.  

Since 2020, Evy has been an ambassador for "Children are Composers".

In the spring of 2021, she attended the Hoogbloeier training in gifted education. Since 2021, Evy has been a partner of the Hoogbloeier Partner Network. In 2023, she took the year-long training in Solution Focused Coaching with Chris Van Dam (Solution Focused Center).

As coach and expert (highly) gifted she guides (highly) gifted children and adolescents during individual sessions and group trajectories at Music for Kids Leuven vzw. Since September 2023, Evy is also director of Music for Kids Leuven.