In memoriam - Eugeen Liven d’Abelardo

Eugeen and his wife Marijke first visited Auroville in 1999. During their next visit in spring 2000, Nuria invited Eugeen to 'do something' with the Auroville Choir, which proved a positive experience for all involved. In January 2001 the couple came to Auroville for a highly fruitful one-and-a-half-year sabbatical. Eugeen again conducted the Auroville Choir and also initiated a new ensemble called Auroville Renaissance Cappella, gave solfege classes, and started a salon de musique every Sunday afternoon in Pitanga where he explained all kinds of western classical music. For Eugeen himself, the sabbatical opened the doors to understanding something of the spiritual background of Auroville, in particular when reading Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s writings on music.

Eugeen and Marijke continued returning to Auroville whenever their busy schedule allowed. Eugeen had studied music with a focus on Gregorian chant and orchestral conducting, and served as conductor of the radio orchestra of the Belgian broadcaster BRT and at the Flemish Opera in Ghent. As a specialist in Gregorian chant, he founded and directed three Schola Cantoria. He was also visiting professor Gregorian chant at the KUG University in Graz, Austria, and guest professor at the NTNU University in Trondheim, Norway.

Eugeen’s visits to Auroville continued for many years; at each visit he would convene Auroville Renaissance Cappella to perform both in Auroville and several times at the Église Notre Dame des Anges in Pondicherry. In February 2023, for what turned out to be the ensemble’s final performance, Eugeen chose music around the theme of peace.

Requiescat in pace