Georges Lonque

Georges Lonque (Ghent, 8 November 1900 – Brussels, 3 March 1967) was a Belgian composer, music teacher, conductor and violinist. His father was Séraphin Lonque and his younger brother was Armand Lonque. All three of them composed music.
Life.
Lonque received his first music teachings from his father, who taught the viola at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. At the age of 11, he began his studies at this Conservatory, where he studied solfège (Oscar Roels), violin (Johan Smit), chamber music (Albert Zimmer), harmony (Léon Moeremans), counterpoint (Emile Mathieu) and fugue (Martin Lunssens). He won the Emile Mathieu prize in 1927 with his "Sonate in Fis majeur" for violin and piano. In 1927 and 1929, he competed in the Prix de Rome and won a second prize for his cantata "Antigone".
Thanks to a grant by the Belgian government Lonque was able to travel through Germany, Austria and France to study music. During these travels he met composers such as Richard Strauss, Robert Heger and Gabriel Perné.
Lonque played the violin at the orchestra of the Royal Opera of Ghent (1914-1932). In 1935, he found the "Foyer de la Musique de Chambre". He also conducted the Ghent Opera Concerts during the Second World War.
Lonque worked at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent (1924-1965). He also succeeded Karel De Sutter as director of the Music Academy of Ronse between 1938 and 1965.
He gained several prices for his musical output, among which a golden medal by the city of Paris for his activities in France.