Amsterdam-born Dutch-Japanese conductor Kent Moussault (1993) is a distinguished artist with an extensive educational background and notable achievements in both orchestral and opera conducting. He earned his Bachelor's degree in orchestral conducting from the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, studying under Jac van Steen, René Gulikers, and Kenneth Montgomery. He then completed his Master's in conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with mentors Garry Walker and Martyn Brabbins. Additional guidance came from prominent figures such as Otto Tausk, Mark Wigglesworth, Johannes Schlaefli, Nicolás Pasquet, Junichi Hirokami, Jan Stulen, and Ulrich Windfuhr. Kent also studied composition at the Conservatory of Amsterdam under Willem Jeths, Joël Bons, and Wim Henderickx.

 

Kent’s musical journey began at the tender age of two with a modified viola serving as his first cello, but his true passion for music was ignited when he started composing. At seventeen, he composed and conducted his first symphony.

 

In 2023, Kent won first prize at the Call for Conductors Budapest Competition and the Young Conductors Award in Hilversum in 2016. He has conducted numerous prestigious orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra (UK), Metropole Orkest (NL), Hamburger Symphoniker (DE), PHION-Orchestra (NL), the Dutch Royal Military Band (KMKJWF), Royal Scottish National Orchestra (UK), Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese (IT), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (UK), and the Noord Nederlands Orkest (NL). He has also served as an assistant conductor to Otto Tausk, Jac van Steen, and Martyn Brabbins across various European orchestras.

 

Kent is known for his work with contemporary composers, having conducted several world premieres with ensembles such as Catchpenny Ensemble, Red Note Ensemble, and Hebrides Ensemble. He was the conductor and artistic director of the European Medical Student Orchestra and Choir (EMSOC) in 2018 and the Siebold Project Orchestra. His opera work includes engagements with the Dutch National Opera Academy, Music Theatre Hollands Diep in Dordrecht, JKTyl Theatre in Pilsen, and the Dutch Touring Opera. In 2023, he conducted the Canary Islands premiere of Handel's oratorio "Theodora" at the International Bach Festival Gran Canaria.

 

Kent participated in the prestigious School of Excellence Musik Akademie Basel program "Pasantia Basel" post-master conducting course. In 2022, he founded MoussaultArt-Music to further his work as a media composer, creating music for film, TV, and games. He also lectures on orchestration for media composers and soundtracks and SFX in games at the ArtEZ Conservatoire and Utrecht School of Arts. He is actively exploring the integration of multimedia in classical concerts.

 

Kent has received numerous accolades and scholarships, including a generous stipend from the Mengelberg Stiftung in 2022, a scholarship for the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth from the International Association of Richard Wagner Societies in 2016, and financial support from the Kersjesfonds and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds during his studies. He was also awarded a scholarship by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for his Master's degree.