Georges Octors (b. 1923), Congolese Violinist & Conductor in Belgium

[Tchaikovsky / Elgar / Dvorak: Serenades; Orchestre de chambre de Wallonie; Georges Octors, conductor; Cypres CYP2615 (2005)]

Georges Octors (b. 1923) is a conductor who was born in the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. AfriClassical learned of him from Mabita Ma Motingiya. Georges Octors graduated from the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, in Brussels, Belgium. Octors won the “Prix Henry Vieuxtemps” in 1941, according to the website of the Prize, which reports that he studied with R. Raskin and M. Crickboom. The website of Cypres Records provides a summary of his career in music:

“A laureate of various international competitions, Georges Octors began his career as a solo violinist. In 1956 he created the Antwerp Bach Ensemble, a celebrated chamber orchestra which received enthusiastic plaudits during its many European tours. André Cluytens, musical director of the Belgian National Orchestra, appointed Octors as his assistant in 1960. From 1975 to 1989 Georges Octors served as the orchestra’s conductor and musical director. He is highly regarded in the Netherlands, where he conducts several orchestras, and where he served as musical director of the Gelders Orkest in Arnhem for ten years. Georges Octors has been a popular guest conductor with orchestras in Eastern and Western Europe, the United States and the former Soviet Union (including the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Society and the London Symphony Orchestra), as well as in South Korea, where he conducts each year. Georges Octors conducted the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Competition every year from 1976 to 1989. He then became musical director of the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia for seven years, making several recordings which were highly acclaimed by the international music press. In 2001 Georges Octors conducted the semi-finals of the violin session of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, during which – for the first time – the Mozart concertos were performed with the accompaniment of the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia.”

Georges+Octors" rel="tag">Georges Octors
classical+music" rel="tag">classical music
Congolese+Conductor" rel="tag">Congolese Conductor
African+Conductor" rel="tag">African Conductor
Black+Conductor" rel="tag">Black Conductor
Black+History" rel="tag">Black History