Young Belgian Talent

Meet the YBT Team

All that we do depends on those who choose to work with us
Harley Lovegrove founding director of Young Belgian Talent

Harley Lovegrove

Founding Director

Harley Lovegrove is one of the founding directors, you can say that YBT was his brainchild. Brought up in an artistic family in South-East London, music became an essential part of Harley’s early childhood. After leaving secondary school, he attended Morley College and The Blackheath Conservatoire of Music to study classical guitar and composition. But his studies were short lived, switching to a career in the commercial world. However, music (and the technology required to enjoy it at home) remained a life-long passion. Today, Harley focuses much of his time on YBT; coaching and supporting our young musicians, making high quality audio recordings and generally helping out where he can. Harley has a very succesful YouTube channel where he talks about his two pet subjects: Music & HiFi.  Harley is also the author of four books: Making a Difference, InspirationalLeadership, Transition, and The Change Manager’s Handbook.

David Frans

Founding Director

Co-founder and Director, David's drive to support our young and extraordinarily gifted young musicians to find their own path to success is self evident. There from the start, David manages the finances and is the mastermind to so many of the organisations projects and support schemes.

With a Masters' degree holder in Enterprise Architecture, and being a managing partner of the group practice, The Bayard Partnership, David is also a passionate supporter of live music in all its forms.

Greet Van 't veld - Artistic director

Greet Van 't veld

Artistic Director

Musicologist, Greet Van ‘t veld explored her passion for music first at the Antwerp Royal Conservatory, then during musicologist studies at Leuven University and at the Leuven Lemmens Institute. Her intrigue for music and word manifestly showed during her studies and further blossomed throughout her career as a writer of concert and CD-reviews on classical music in Knack-magazine from 1997 tot 2010. During which time she made hundreds of interviews with musicians in many publications. For almost 30 years, Greet combines her two passions - music and language - at our national classical radio KLARA where she is programming music every day and also reviews CD’s. 

An Jordens - personal coach

An Jordens

Personal Coach

To reach the very top of your profession, you need to have an expert team around you, to help and support you when needed. After all, no one wins an Olympic medal without a team of personal coaches.  And it’s no different for our musicians.

With An, we have a world leading talent coach in personal presentation, media techniques and stage performance. Her distinguished experience in TV and Radio, coupled with her super bubbly and confident personality, makes her a great hit with our musicians, stepping in so generously when she is needed.

An Jordens - personal coach

Sophie Vincken

Personal Coach

Our musicians sometimes need very specific support and advice.  They join us when they are young and yet the public and the professional world often see them as being way more mature than their age.  Over the years they spend with us, and beyond, they have to face an incredible array of personal and professional challenges.  This is where Sophie comes in.

Sophie is specialised in coaching business executives, guiding them to build their confidence in uncertain environments and also in training them to make good decisions.   Our musician's needs are no different, and Sophie's support helps them no end.

Aveline Gram - Pianist & Personal Coach

Aveline Gram

Pianst & Personal Coach

Who better to coach and advise our musicians than another musician and YBT winner?  Aveline was our first YBT prodigy, way back in 2010.  Since then, she has performed in concert halls from London to Germany and even completed a solo concert tour in India.

Aveline has recorded CD’s, performed on radio and TV and built an impressive network. But much more than this, she has faced all kinds of personal and professional challenges along the way. Her ‘lessons learned’, mixed with her naturally sympathetic nature and sharp intellect, have blended together to offer our young musicians the expert support that she once received from us.

Emile Vertongen - Young Talent Coordinator YBT!

Emiel Vertongen

Young Talent Coordinator

Emiel first joined us as a volunteer project team member for our 2022 Finals while studying Event Management at the UCLL. But most people in the music industry know him as a cellist with a Masters degree from the LUCA School of Arts. 

Emiel's role for YBT is to act as a coordinator between the music industry and Belgiums' educational establishment. The aim being to identify the extraordianarily gifted young musicians YBT needs to nurture, to ensure Belgium's place at the very highest level on the international classical music stage. 

Sarah Claeys - The Voice of YBT!

Sarah Claey's

The voice of YBT!

Sarah has been presenting YBT finals and concerts since the very beginning. This is why we refer to her as 'The Voice of YBT.' 

Sarah's calm professional and deeply respectful manner of presentation is coupled with her wit and deep knowledge of music. She brings charm and elegance, and not to forget, a sense of beauty to every YBT public event.

Sarah Claeys - The Voice of YBT!

Christine Dassy

Program Manager - YBT Competition & Finals

Christine has an impressive career in Project, Program and Even Management. Including, no less than, for The Project Management Institute of Belgium where she was their Events Director, finally rising to the position of Chapter President.  

Christine joins YBT with a love of classical music, choral singing and the desire to give back to society in the field of supporting extraordinarily gifted classical musicians, who without our help, might not reach their full potential.