From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sigiswald Kuijken (born February 16, 1944) is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor who works primarily with Pre-Nineteenth Century Music. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 to 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972. Since 1971, he has taught Baroque violin at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague and the Koninklijk Muziekconservatorium in Brussels. He is noted for utilizing the older technique of resting the violin on the shoulder without a shoulder rest, rather than held under the chin. He is a member of the Kuijken String Quartet, which he formed in 1986. In recent years, he has also performed as conductor of symphonies of the Romantic era. On February 2nd, 2007, he was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium).
