At the General Assembly of WFAO, Alex Van Beveren of Belgium stepped down as chairperson. Since 1991, he has been essential in the development of the World Federation of Amateur Orchestras, working day and night to expand the network of orchestras around the world.
Alex Van Beveren is a professional oboist, now retired from the Brussels Philharmonic and the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. He has been active within the Flemish Amateur Music Association (VLAMO), and conducted several youth orchestras. Especially has he been engaged in exchange projects all over the world.
From the beginning of WFAO, the first World Youth Orchestra Conference in 1991, Van Beveren has devoted himself to the organization. Bringing in new contacts, connecting orchestras and musicians, and especially to tighten the bond between east and west.
Alex Van Beveren was elected chairman at the General Assembly in Oslo 2016, and has since then spent much of his time to transform the organization. He has been central in organizing the last three conferences, a vital part of the work of WFAO the last years, in addition to the successful WFAO World Amateur Orchestra Festival in Milan 2015.
The World Federation of Amateur Orchestral is really grateful for the enormous effort Alex Van Beveren has laid down to develop the organization, and the 2018 General Assembly decided unanimously to appoint him with the title Honorary Chairman. We are also happy that Van Beveren will contribute to the coming WFAO Conference in June 2020.
WFAO thanks Alex Van Beveren for his devotion to the federation, and hope to have him contribute to the work of the organization for many years to come.
