René Defossez

René Defossez is a Belgian composer, conductor and teacher. Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium (1970).

Son of the composer and violinist Léon Defossez (1876-1951). He began his musical training with his father, continuing his studies at the Liège Conservatory with Carl Smulders (harmony) and François Ras (counterpoint). In 1935 he received the Prix de Rome for the cantata Le Vieux Soudard. From 1935 to 1959 he was conductor of the Théâtre Monet. In 1946 he began teaching at the Liège Conservatory, and in parallel from 1946 to 1973 at the Brussels Conservatory. He was a permanent member of the jury of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Together with his theater troupe, he toured many cities in Europe: Marseille, Bucharest, Sofia, Athens, Ankara, the USA and the USSR in 1969.