Joannes Daniël Dulcken was the most important harpsichord maker in Antwerp in the 18th-century. He successfully continued the rich tradition of the Ruckers-Couchet family. Ten harpsichords he produced still exist around the world. Only a few are playable and one of them, built in 1747, is in our collection.
The instrument
The Dulcken harpsichord was purchased in 1923 by Jean-Auguste Stellfeld (1881-1952). Stellfeld was a passionate music enthusiast and collector of old musical instruments. He also encouraged people to play these instruments. In 1941, the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp acquired the keyboard and since 1967 it has been in Museum Vleeshuis. It plays an important role in rediscovering historical performance practice: harpsichordists such as Jos van Immerseel, Gustav Leonhardt and Kenneth Gilbert have played on the harpsichord. A tradition continued today by Korneel Bernolet.
© Frederik Beyens
The soundmaster
Korneel Bernolet is a familiar face at Museum Vleeshuis. A professor of harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, he teaches at the museum, where he and his students play on the historic harpsichord by Joannes Daniel Dulcken.
Korneel has already made several recordings. In 2021, he released Grand Tour, a musical journey through the year 1747 with works composed around the year the harpsichord was produced. For his solo album enSuite, also recorded on the magisterial Dulcken harpsichord, he received the prestigious 'Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik' in 2024.
Biography
Korneel Bernolet is active as a conductor, historical keyboard player, teacher and recording engineer.
He conducts his own Apotheosis Orchestra, which has made leading international recordings of music by Rameau, Bernier and Benda, among others; and is guest conductor with Anima Eterna Brugge, Collegium Vocale Ghent (where, as with the Flemish Radio Choir, he is also choral conductor), Il Gardellino, the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Academy Australia, Muziektheater Transparant, International Opera Academy, etc.
As assistant conductor to Christophe Rousset, he works at the most prestigious venues (including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Wiener Staatsoper, Theater an der Wien, La Monnaie Brussels, Opéra National du Rhin, the Philharmonic Orchestras of Cologne, Paris, Essen, etc.).
In addition to a global solo career (from Europe to Australia and South Korea), he is invited as a continuo player on harpsichord, pianoforte and organ with Les Talens Lyriques, Il Gardellino, Collegium Vocale Ghent, Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, Staatskapelle Dresden, B'Rock, Scherzi Musicali, La Petite Bande, etc.
He is principal study professor of harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and as such is also titular harpsichordist and ambassador of the famous Dulcken 1747 harpsichord in Museum Vleeshuis.
