Rafaël D’Haene (°1943) studied piano, harmony, counterpoint and fugue at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels and he earned his “Licence de Composition” in Paris under H. Dutilleux. D’Haene has taught at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels since 1970 and at the Muziekkapel Koningin Elisabeth since 1985.

As a composer, Rafaël D’Haene has been the recipient of numerous awards both in Belgium and abroad. In 1999, D’Haene was a member of the jury for composition for the Queen Elisabeth Competition. In his compositions, he has aimed to slow down the rapid evolution of contemporary art. In order to accomplish this, he by no means closes himself to 20th (and 21st) century art, but strives in his compositions for a classical ideal of beauty that coincides with the ideal of the 19th century.