Founder and artistic director of the Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis, French conductor and bass Lionel Meunier is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and highly acclaimed artistic leaders today in the fields of historical performance and choral music. In addition to directing Vox Luminis, he also serves as a guest conductor and artistic director with choirs, ensembles, and orchestras worldwide.
Under Meunier’s leadership, Vox Luminis has embarked on extensive tours throughout Europe, North America, and Asia; established multi-season artistic residencies at Wigmore Hall, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, and Concertgebouw Brugge; and recorded over a dozen critically acclaimed albums. In 2012, Vox Luminis received the Gramophone Recording of Year award for their recording of Heinrich Schütz’ Musicalische Exequien. They won their second Gramophone Award, the 2019 Choral Recording of the Year, for their recording of Buxtehude.
As a guest conductor, Meunier has worked with the Netherlands Bach Society, Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Netherlands Chamber Choir, and the Boston Early Music Festival. He has led projects with Vox Luminis in collaboration with Juilliard 415, the B’Rock Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Freiburger Barockorchester, and L’Achéron, among many others. Future projects include his debut with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
Born in France, Meunier was trained as a singer and recorder player. He began his career as a bass in ensembles such as the Collegium Vocale Ghent, Amsterdam Baroque Choir, and Capella Pratensis. In 2013, he was awarded the title of Namurois de l’Année (Namur Citizen of the Year) for culture in the Belgian town of Namur, where he lives with his family.
