Van Hulse, Camil
Biografie
Annelies Focquaert (translation: Joris Duytschaever)
Camil Van Hulse received his earliest music education from his father Gustaaf Van Hulse (a pupil of Edgar Tinel). During the First World War he served as a volunteer with the 17th Regiment of the Line, suffering lung damage in 1915 during a gas attack. After the war he further pursued his music studies at the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory of Antwerp with Edward Verheyden (harmony and composition), Lodewijk Mortelmans (counterpoint), Frans Lenaerts (piano), and in Brussels with Arthur de Greef. In 1922 he earned the Prize Albert de Vleeshouwer for composition. From 1919 to 1923 he served as organist of the main church in Sint-Niklaas.
In 1923 poor health prompted him to emigrate to the United States, where the desert climate of Arizona agreed with his system. There he served as organist of the All Saints Church from 1924 to 1929 (and again from 1940 to 1949); he was also organist and choir leader at St Elisabeth’s Church in Altadena (1929-1930), S.S. Peter and Paul Church in Tucson (1939-40), and finally the New S.S. Peter and Paul Church in Tucson (1944-1957). In 1928 he was one of the founding fathers of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and concurrently the first conductor of this orchestra. A Society of Chamber Music was founded there by him, too. From 1957 on he focused completely on composition.
He was an acclaimed concert organist and received composition commissions from many American cities. He managed to compose a very impressive oeuvre for all kinds of strengths. Among them pride of place is deserved by the Sinfonia Maya, performed for the first time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and also a cantata entitled The Beatitudes (no doubt influenced by César Franck), premiered during the Second World War at All Saints Church. Several of his compositions earned important distinctions.
Bibliografie
Anderen over deze componist
- Corbet, A. en Paap, W.: Van Hulse, Camil, in: Algemene Muziekencyclopedie, dl. 3, Amsterdam, 1959, p. 443.
- Devine, D.: This old house, in: Tucson Weekly, 18 september 2003, p. 13.
- N.N.: Camil Van Hulse, in: The Diapason, 1 december 1946, p. 3.
- Plovie, R.: Camil Van Hulse, in: Orgelkunst, jrg. 21, nr. 1, maart 1998, p. 26-31.
Historische teksten
Over Camil Van Hulse in The Diapason
Camil Van Hulse, Belgian-born composer, pianist and organist of Tucson, Ariz., is rapidly becoming known as one of the nation’s prominent composers. For the third time Mr. Van Hulse has won the Nora Seeley Nichols prize, with his cantata Jerusalem, the Fallen, for women’s chorus and baritone solo, with piano accompaniment.