Hilke Bauweraerts

Hilke grew up in a musical family and was smitten with folk music from an early age. It was inevitable that her roots would lead her to begin practicing music herself. She started her musical studies at the Academy of Music in Schilde, which later on was accompanied with the Arts School in Turnhout. After that she obtained a master’s degree in “music therapy” at the LUCA, School of Arts, campus Lemmens Leuven. 

Although she has practiced numerous instruments since childhood, it was the diatonic accordion that eventually won her heart. At the age of 16 she devoted herself to this great love as an autodidact. To open up the potential of her playing style and let in a fresh breeze of inspiration, she followed workshops from Didier Laloy, Anne Niepold, Martin Coudroy, Simone Bottasso, Stephane Milleret, Aurélien Claranbaux and Emile Verstraeten.
Hilke plays an instrument by the French builder Bertrand Gaillard.

Hilke appeared on several stages with her first folk group 'Sakura', with whom she won the competition at the Lindeboom festival in northern France and released a CD in 2011. With Duo Brabants Bauweraerts she also performed for many years. Being a creative and composing musician, she doesn’t shy away from giving it her all to make sure that the music gets the energy it requires.
She is currently active in Hidrae (CD 2020), Marvara (CD 2021), Threo, Duo Bauweraerts Van Hees (CD 2017), theater company Tal en Thee, … . Hilke also teaches different courses at the Music Academy of Herentals, Mortsel and Deurne and the Art School Musart! in Hasselt. Besides that she gives/makes many workshops for the KIDconcerts of Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and she gave folk workshops in Kalmthout and Gooik and several other workshops for the organisation Wisper. 

Bart Van Troyen

As a teenager, Bart came into contact with bagpipes at the Volkmuziekstage in Gooik. It was love at first sight, which gradually turned into a passion. He has a master’s degree in music (bagpipes and musette) and chamber music, and teaches bagpipes in three music schools. In 2013, legendary instrument maker Remy Dubois accepted him as his student, and since 2017 Bart has his own musette workshop in Bornem.

As a baroque musician, he performed in opera production productions with Freiburger Barockorchester, Les Arts Florissants, Sir Simon Rattle, Paul Agnew, Reinout van Mechelen…

In 2024 he joined the Belgian folk sensation Hidrae.

Malicorne Buysse

Named after a legendary folk band and the child of two folk-loving parents, Malicorne grows up breathing the world of traditional folk music. During her classical music education she quickly acquires a taste for the violin. Her teacher Ann Lafaille knows like no one else how to convey passion and musicality in her lessons and subsequently plays a major part in Malicorne’s musical development. She later establishes a substantial interest in the pure Centre-France violin style (in which the bourrée auvergnate take centre stage) due to several folk internships, including those at Jean-François Vrod and Luc Pilartz. Furthermore she starts exploring various musical projects (Chitty Bang Bang, Famuze, Kotjesvolk, Kadril, Zjef Vanuitsel, Les Sauvages), where she always looks to combine improvisations with subtle accompaniments. Malicorne sees folk music as a perfect way to differ from her day-to-day scientific research.

Robbe Desmet

Robbe Desmet (°08/01/1994) was exposed to both classical music and jazz from an early age. After studying violin, he shifted his focus to bass guitar. At the Conservatory of Ghent, he studied jazz bass under the guidance of Janos Bruneel, Yannick Peeters, and Nic Thys. After earning his master’s degree in bass guitar, he continued his studies with an additional two years of double bass lessons at the same conservatory. Following his studies, Robbe began teaching at various academies in Flanders, sharing his passion for music with others. As a versatile musician, he has developed his skills across a wide range of genres and projects. He regularly performs in musical theatre bands, classical orchestras, pop bands, and jazz ensembles. Since 2023, he has been part of Hidrae, further expanding his musical horizon through folk music.

Photo Robbe © Michel de Pourcq (dpm@telenet.be)