Photo (c) : Sofie Verstraete
Communicating through the arts
Remi Kesteman is a professional cello player with deep european roots. Belgian, Portuguese, musician, martial artist, dance teacher, globe trotter, language lover, his many backgrounds allow him to easily connect with a variety of cultures.
Specialised in early music and having a vast experience in traditional european culture, arts are, to him, the means to bring people together in a common identity, sharing their differences as a source of strength, to make living together a constructive and gratifying experience.
Experience
As a cellist in early music orchestras & ensembles
- Scherzi Musicali, The Antwerp Baroque Orchestra, Les Agrémens, Concerto Ibérico, Concert de L’hostel Dieu, Contágio Barroco, Hyphen, Les Plaisirs Nomades
As a musician in trad & folk music groups
- Fahrenheit, Deu La Deu, Girasol
As a dance teacher
- Founder of the folk venues “Keep Calm & Folk Away” and “ESMAE Folk”, in Porto
- Guest teacher in several venues in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Poland
- In festivals: Andanças, Tradidanças (PT), Gennetines (FR), Boombal Festival (BE), Venezia Balla (IT), Prague Balfolk Weekend & Prague Balfolk Immersion (CZ), Lovembal, Balfolk.pl (PL), Dennefeest, Cadansa (NL), …
As a music teacher
- In Lyon, France: Ecole de Musique de Neuville-sur-Saône, Centre Musical et Artistique de Saint-Genis-Laval, SESLM La Mulatière, Ecole de Musique de Francheville
- In Porto, Portugal: Escola de Música de Santa Cecília da Areosa, Projecto Músicos d’Ouro
- Masterclasses in music schools in Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium
As an aikido instructor
- Korpus Health Club, Matosinhos
- ESMAE Dojo
Education
2019 : Winner of the “Mathilde Horlait Dapsens” chamber music contest
2019 : Master’s Degree (with high honours) in baroque cello – Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles – in the class of Hervé Douchy
2017 : Bachelor in early music – Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo do Porto (ESMAE) – in the class of Marco Ceccato
2015 : Official Grade I Aikido Instructor by the Portuguese Federation of Aikido (FPA)
Remi Kesteman 