(1909,
Ghent University Library) Born in
Antwerp, Blockx studied the piano with
Frans Aerts, the organ with
Joseph Callaerts and composition with
Peter Benoît at the
Antwerp Conservatory. When he was still a student he wrote some songs, in Flemish, which became popular. However, his musical education studies were quite irregular, and he was essentially self-taught. Later he studied with
Carl Reinecke at
Leipzig. Despite the fact that he was Benoit's favorite pupil, Blockx wanted to make his own way in life, independent of his teacher and the Flemish Movement. Unlike Benoit, Blockx never intended his works to have the educational, uplifting effect that was typical for the Flemish Movement. This caused tensions between student and master: despite the fact that Blockx's work helped to spread Flemish music across the Belgian borders and even saved the
Vlaamse Opera from
bankruptcy, Blockx received a lot of complaints from his fellow Flemish composers for publishing his works in French and through the
Parisian music publisher
Heugel. In 1886 Blockx became a teacher at his Antwerp
alma mater and when Benoît died in 1901, Blockx succeeded him as director (a decision that was much contested by his colleagues despite his international reputation). He died of a stroke in Kapellenbos, near Antwerp, in 1912. ==Works==