BIO

Fien Desmet

Fien Desmet (°1990) is a versatile Belgian singer, songwriter, and teacher.Born into a musical family where singing was a daily activity, she started attending music school at the age of 8, studying piano first in the classical department and later in the pop/jazz section. Inspired by several concerts her parents took her to, and more interested in playing tunes by ear than studying her classical pieces, she began writing her own songs at the age of 11. After earning a degree in Literature and Linguistics, Fien went on to study Jazz (vocals) at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, where she obtained her master’s degree in 2017. She enjoyed classes and collaborations with Tutu Puoane, Kurt Van Herck, John Ruocco, and Ambrose Akinmusire, among others. However, songwriting remained her greatest passion, as she sought to share stories and unite her love for words and music. As a songwriter, she loves to experiment, sketch, and play at the piano, inspired by musical soul seekers such as Nina Simone, Randy Newman, and Joni Mitchell. Constantly amazed by the absurd, beautiful, and crazy world around her, she writes music for her own project, ‘Festi’, together with musicians Anke Verslype, Gerben Brys, Wout Gooris, and Sophie Verdickt. Besides her own work, she has been involved in several fascinating projects as both a singer and a composer, collaborating with artists such as Anneleen Boehme, Lennert Baerts, Marjan Van Rompay, Wout Gooris, Gerben Brys, Anke Verslype, Adia Van Heerentals, Lukas Somers, Olivier Penu, Joke Emmers and so on. Fien is also passionate about working in theater, having served as a musical director for productions at Tutti Fratelli and Theater Antigone, contributing to community-based projects. She is a strong advocate of interdisciplinary collaborations, which she explored through a Soundpainting course in Paris (2018) and creative partnerships with Sofie Van den Bril (visual arts) and Fée Roels (dance). Currently, Fien teaches ensemble performance, songwriting, and vocal classes at the music school of Wilrijk, Antwerp.