(Credit: Julien Pohl)

Belgian conductor Patrick Davin has died at the age of 58 on September 9, 2020, after suffering a heart attack before one of the rehearsals of the Jean-Luc Fafchamps’ pop-requiem “Is This the End?” at La Monnaie Opera House in Brussels.

The former student of Pierre Boulez and Peter Eötvös, Davin was frequently invited to perform works by such composers as Philippe Boesmans, Luc Brewaeys, Bruno Mantovani, Jacqueline Fontyn, Charles Chaynes, Vinko Globokar, and Murray Schafer, among others.

Davin held the post of Principal Guest Conductor at the Royal Opera House Wallonie Liège. He conducted numerous productions in the opera house, including Debussy’s “Pelléas and Mélisande,” Richard Strauss’ “Arabella,” Gounod’s “Faust,” and Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” among others. Davin had also conducted numerous operatic works at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra National du Rhin, l’Opéra-Comique in Paris, and LaMonnaie/De Munt.

“We are extremely sad to announce that the conductor Patrick Davin passed away, just before beginning a rehearsal of the opera ‘Is this the end?’ The musicians, singers, and collaborators of La Monnaie are all in a state of deep distress. All further planned rehearsals were immediately canceled,” said La Monnaie in an official statement. “The Board of Directors and the personnel of La Monnaie offer their sincere condolences and the profound support to the family of Patrick Davin.”