Francois van Campenhout

Full biography Francois van Campenhout

Francois van Campenhout was a Belgian composer who lived from 1779 to 1848. He is most well known for composing the music to the Belgian national anthem, "La Brabanconne". Van Campenhout was born in Brussels, Belgium and began his music career as a singer in the choir of the Theatre de la Monnaie. He later went on to compose operas and other musical works, with "La Brabanconne" being his most famous piece. The piece was initially written in 1830 for a government-sponsored contest to find a national anthem for Belgium. Van Campenhout's entry was chosen out of nine other submissions and was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1860. Even today, "La Brabanconne" is played at official events and ceremonies throughout Belgium. Van Campenhout's other works include several operas, a symphony, and various vocal and instrumental pieces. Despite his contributions to Belgian music, van Campenhout remains largely unknown outside of his home country.