He was born in
Liège on 2 March 1884. His father Alphonse had an atelier there and worked as a woodcarver. He left his post at Saint-Jacques church in 1908 in order to tour Europe with a piano quartet. In 1934 he returned to Belgium to become a professor of
fugue at the
Royal Conservatory of Brussels. The Commission de surveillance gave his several directorial responsibilities in 1938 and officially appointed him as director on 1 August 1939. He succeeded his brother
Joseph Jongen. His appointment as director lasted till 1949. Jongen composed symphonic works and operas. Even though he was a great admirer of the French romantic school and even knew some influence by
César Franck, his musical style evolved towards more modernistic traits. He died in
Brussels. ==Selected works==