Raphaël De Cock is a Belgian multi-instrumentalist, singer, and researcher of traditional vocal and instrumental traditions, active in a wide range of Belgian and international music projects. Since discovering the Irish uilleann pipes and Tuvan throat and overtone singing in 1989, he has pursued a lifelong exploration of instruments, vocal techniques, timbres, and musical traditions from across the world. His work spans Irish, Galician, Sardinian, Albanian, Siberian, Mediterranean, Flemish, and other European traditions, combining deep respect for heritage with experimentation and contemporary artistic encounters.

 

He is a founding member and collaborator of numerous ensembles and projects, including GRIFF, Tenore Monte Arvu, Voxtra, Gjini Ensemble, Toasaves, EDRA, and Hiraeth, while also working with artists from the fields of early music, theatre, circus, dance, visual arts, and sound. His distinctive practice often brings together unusual instruments and vocal traditions, from uilleann pipes, gaita, and chatkhan to overtone and throat singing and Sardinian a tenore polyphony.

 

Alongside performing, Raphaël regularly leads workshops and courses, sharing traditional singing techniques, throat singing, and his knowledge of musical cultures. His interdisciplinary collaborations include projects such as MUZAND, Halewyn, Balsam, Rompeltier, and the Firefly Sessions, reflecting his interest in connecting music with storytelling, nature, movement, visual art, and ecological awareness. Across more than three decades, his artistic journey has remained rooted in curiosity, cultural exchange, and a continuous search for new ways in which ancient musical traditions can resonate in contemporary contexts.

 

As a result of his lifetime adventure and search for musical instruments and vocal timbres, Raphael De Cock also regularly gives workshops and courses.

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• In 1991 he formed an Irish duo with Sacha Van Loo called Cú Chullainn, which later became the trio Crónán with Greet Garriau (Fluxus, Lupa Luna).

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• His throat singing workshop at the folk summerschool of Gooik in 1998 led to the new sextet Keukkojoen with Griet De Taey, Marijke Visterin, Mieke Evenepoel, Sacha Van Loo, Maarten Decombel, focusing mainly on vocal traditions from Europe and elsewhere.

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• In 2001 he started to play the Galician bagpipe (gaita) in A Banda, and later in A CONTRABANDA.​

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• Since 2003 he is co-founder of the neo-folk bagpipe band Griff (& since 2008 GRIFF TRIO).

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• In 2003, he replaced Jowan Merckx on several concerts of the project Profielen/Perfiles with Wannes Van De Velde, Amparo Cortes and Ialma.

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• He sang in the Hispano-Portuguese-Galician ensemble Néboa.

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• He performed at multi-ethnic school projects with Waira between 2007-2009.

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• Since 2007 he plays the Siberian zither (chatkhan) and throatsings in OSUNA. 

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• He took part in an Irish-Scandinavian fusion project aka NORTHERN LIGHTS.

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• In 2009 he performed Vladiswar Nadishana in  the duo NADISUNA.

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• In 2010 he joined the Italo-Belgian vocal project MUNTAGNA NERA by Graindelavoix, and MELANCHOLIA directed by Ami d' AMUZ Thomas Baeté.

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• In 2013 he joined the "Gruuthuse project" of CLUBMEDIÉVAL.

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• Since 2012 he sings the contra part in "a tenore" polyphony with the Belgo-Sardinian group TENORE MONTE ARVU de Genk.

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• Also in 2012 he meets with Sand-artist Colette Dedyn with whom he collaborates amonst others in the MUZAND project.

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• In 2013 he joined Cirque Massala with Aurora Tornalis, a fire-art/street theatre/danse/music project and Trio Zoefi as a spin-off music group.

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• He joins VOXTRA in 2014, an encounter of vocal heritage where he also meets and joins the Albanian iso-polyphonic GJINI ENSEMBLE.

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• In 2017 he joins concerts and records a CD for BALSAM of Zefiro Torna, in collaboration with theatre of Senses Laika it became a tantalizing herb laboratory that tours since 2020.

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• In 2018-2019 he leads an audiovisual music project based on an ancient flemish ballad HALEWYN.

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• Since 2018 he plays with fiddler-singer Edwin Vanvinkenroye in "poetic-folk" duo EDRA. 

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• He joins the musician collective of Toasaves in 2020 that published their first album Zwerver (CD-label Muziekpublique) in 2022 that got the prize of best album at the 2024 Flanders Folk Awards.

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• Since 2020 he is collaborating with MyNoise of Stéphane Pigeon 

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• Since 2021 he co-organises with Muziekpublique the Firefly Sessions, musical nature excursions at night to explore music and the fascinating world of fireflies, but also to learn about what threatens these brilliant insects and their habitats and what you can do to help.
   

• In 2020 he is also invited by Wouter Vandenabeele to join his Hiraeth project, resulting in a musical voyage and quest for melancholy in Mediterranean traditional music, leading to several concerts in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

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• Since December 2024 he plays with Enara Navaira, four Antwerp-based musicians, each rooted in a unique musical tradition, joining forces in an innovative and daring collaboration. They got nominated at the 2026 Flanders Folk Awards as “horizon” revelation. 

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• Raphaël joined Thomas Baeté of ClubMediéval together with musician-acrobats of FlatBe Companie in the  Rompeltier, a place where the Renaissance and the circus meet. Where voices speak without words and bodies sing without voices. A production of Zonzo Companie with a creative residency at Musica Impulscentrum, performances at Big Bang festivals in fall 2025 and the MA festival 2026

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... Check current projects here.