Kuijken started his career in music in 1952 with the
Brussels Alariusensemble of which he formed part until 1972. In addition, he played with the
Ensemble Musique Nouvelle which propagated avant-garde music throughout Europe. In 1972 the ensemble
La Petite Bande was established and later the
Kuijken Strijkkwartet (Kuijken String Quartet). Kuijken has recorded numerous works of chamber music with
Gustav Leonhardt,
Frans Brüggen and
Alfred Deller. Today he is one of the most sought-after
Early Music performers of his generation on the baroque cello and viola da gamba. Wieland Kuijken is gamba teacher at the conservatories of Brussels and
The Hague and regular jury member of international competitions. Kuijken has two brothers,
Sigiswald and
Barthold, who are also eminent musicians and are known for playing
baroque music on authentic instruments. Sigiswald is a violinist and Barthold a
flautist and
recorder player. His third brother is Professor
Eckhart Kuijken, former director of the Flemish Institute for Nature Conservation and a professor at
Groningen University. He also has a fourth brother, Oswald Kuijken, who is a famous visual artist. == External links ==