Peter Benoit

Benoit's primary instructor was Fetis only after he had studied fugue, counterpoint, composition, piano and harmony and won the prize of the Brussels Conservatory. A Flemish composer, Benoit struggled and succeeded at bringing a revitalization of culturo-centric music to the halls of Belgium. He was instrumental in developing the Flemish Opera and the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music. Benoit was influenced by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Chopin, Weber and later Berlioz. His favorite compositions were choral masses with which he attempted to raise the consciousness of the Belgian people through traditional motifs in rhythms and melodies. Benoit was also a teacher who was known among across national boundaries. ~ Keith Johnson