Françoise Vanhecke

"Putting a concert program together - it's like making a nice plate pour manger. I put some peppers, some sides, some spices - it's like creating a painting"

Dr. Françoise Vanhecke, a famed Belgian singer, actress, pianist, also known as Irma Bilbao as a composer joins host Nina Siniakova to share her thoughts on life as a contemporary performer. This episode was filmed at Wouter De Bruycker Art Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium in October 2023.

Special thanks to Mr. De Bruycker. With use of music by members of New York Women-Composers:

• Stefania de Kennessey, "In Bed with Fred"
• Svjetlana Bukvich, "Tattoo"
• Niloufar Noukbarkhsh, "Window"
• Nina Siniakova, "Of Dreams and Clouds"

YouTube: "Between Us" with Nina Siniakova. Featuring Françoise Vanhecke.

	Dona Nobis: all songs on Spotify
	Dona Nobis: all songs on Apple Music (latest release)

	Recommended: Covid 19-Coronasong 2020 for voice and piano (acoustic version)
	Recommended: Covid 19- Coronasong 2020 for voice and orchestra (orchestral version)

• Soloperformance PhD concert of Françoise Vanhecke at Logosfoundation the 21st of June 2017.
  Audio: SPIRTO 5 by Irma Bilbao (for voice, piano, tape, robots (SO, Bug Chimes), oceandrum and "Patchwork”choirwork in mono recording and excerpt of Silent Majesty by Aeoliah & Rowland
  text: William Blake & Irma Bilbao
• Performance of 2 December 2017 / Concertstudio of the Conservatorium Kortrijk (Flanders), "Only Darkness and Shadows" (2015) by Wim Henderickx.
  
  • Soliste: Françoise Vanhecke
  • Fluit: Liesl Vanoverberghe
  • Hobo: Anouk Vandenbussche
  • Klarinet: Sem Raes / Marthe De Moor
  • Hoorn: Bram Vanoverberghe
  • Fagot: Naomi Dehaeghel
  • Piano: Marie-Noëlle Damien
  • Viool: Simon Schotte
  • Altviool: Annemie Vercauteren
  • Cello: Frederic Van Assche
  • Contrabas: Isabelle Brys
  • Dirigent: Erik Desimpelaere
  Excerpt

Covid 19-Coronasong: 2020 for voice and piano: (acoustic version)
Covid 19-Coronasong: 2020 for voice and orchestra: (orchestral version)

Party 10 year doctoral schools: Françoise Vanhecke sings "Je ne regrette rien", with the Ghent University Jazz Combo-The Blandinos.

Video ICVT-Song: ICVT-Song (sing-along song (or solo-song). T & Music by Françoise Vanhecke (alias IRMA BILBAO) written for the Closing Ceremony of the ICVT (International Congress of Voice Teachers) 2017 in Stockholm/Sweden and played by the Composer herself at the Kungasalem, KHM for the Closing Ceremony on 6th of August 2017.

Performance of BASTA DIVA.

Dutch Version	French Version

Some videos of Françoise performing in the Acamoda fashion show.




Françoise Vanhecke-Inhaling Singing

• "Solissima" - review by Danny Degrieck
• Read the article on "Solissima" in "De Krant van West-Vlaanderen" (The Newspaper of West Flanders).
• Françoise's TED talk about the continuous evolution of the human voice. Read the article in "Nina".
• Read the latest article on "inhaling singing" in "Physics in Medicine"
• Coverage from the 3rd Cracking Bamboo Festival 2012:
  • Video's of the performances:

    The show in Saigon	Singing in the caves of Ha Long Bay

  • Local TV coverage:
    • Video: homage Françoise Vanhecke
    • A reportage from the Thai TV
  • Newspaper articles:
    • In Vietnamese
    • In English
    • Again in English
• Admired in her own region: the Belgian press speaks in nice words about Françoise in Het Nieuwsblad on October 27th, 2012
• An article in the 'Stadskrant Kortrijk' about the upcoming 'Festival van Vlaanderen' where Françoise will be performing Pierrot Lunaire. (in Dutch)
• Read the diary of the Logos Women with their impressions from the New York “Issue Project Room” (in Dutch):
  • Part I
  • Part II
  • Part III
  Or check out some videos from their trip:
  • Video I
  • Video II
• Read this article about Françoise as ambassador for her city Harelbeke. (in Dutch)
• Press coverage of the 'Cracking Bamboo' festival in 2008 from a Saigon newspaper. Even in Vietnam, Françoise leaves an unforgettable impression on the audience. Check out one of the following articles:
  • in English
  • another impression in English
  • and even in Vietnamese
• The official IMDb website of 'Steve + Sky' where Françoise acted in the role of nurse and did the voice coaching.
• Local television coverage of Basta Diva. Click here to experience a bit of the performance.
• Report of the ppIANISSIMO festival in Sofia Bulgaria (edition 2011) as broadcasted on Bulgarian national TV.
  
  
  
• Newspaper article from a performance in Vietnam (click on the picture to see it full size).
  
  
  

Commercial video for Devos-Lemmens (flashmob).

Dutch Version	French Version

Contact: +32 (0)475 64 41 07
francoise.vanhecke@telenet.be

Designed and developed by icspert