After obtaining her Master’s Degrees clarinet & chamber music with Walter Boeykens at the Royal Flemish Conservatoire of Antwerp (Belgium), Belgian clarinetist Nele Delafonteyne moved to London, to study with Prof. Andrew Marriner. Nele also studied classical clarinet and historical performance practice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Vincenzo Casale.
Nele Delafonteyne has been principal clarinet with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra for 15 years, since 2011. Since January 2025 she is principal clarinet with Opera House Flanders (Opera Ballet Vlaanderen). With the National Orchestra of Belgium, La Monnaie (Opera House Brussels), the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Hilversum, The Netherlands) and other Dutch orchestras, Nele is a regular guest principal.
From 2015-2017 she was guest principal clarinet with the Royal Opera House & Royal Ballet Covent Garden (London). From 2007-2011 Nele was guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra (with Valéry Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Colin Davis, Sir John Eliot Gardiner) and guest principal with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (London).
In 2020 Nele performed the world première of the Max Bruch Concerto for Clarinet, Viola & Orchestra, in an arrangement for Clarinet, Cello & Orchestra, with Camille Thomas (cello) & Fabien Gabel & Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in the Elisabeth Hall (Antwerp).
Nele Delafonteyne has been a laureate in competitons such as Jong Tenuto, The International Clarinet and Piano Competition (Bucharest), Axion Classics and The International Carl Maria von Weber Clarinet Contest (Germany). From 2003-2005 Nele was principal clarinet with the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) and played with Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Lorin Maazel.
Nele is clarinet professor at the Royal Conservatory Ghent (KASK School of Arts) (Belgium). For the new Postgraduate Clarinet ‘Zoé Crampon’ Programme (in collaboration with Buffet Crampon, Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel & Ghent Conservatory), Nele is one of the professors teaching in this programme. With Youth Orchestra Flanders, Nele is woodwind coach to help young professional musicians into an orchestra career. As a guest professor, Nele has been regulary asked to give masterclasses and coaching sessions on audition training. Nele is a sought-after jury member for examinations and competitions.
Currently, Nele plays Buffet Crampon Tosca Mopane Anniversaire Limited Edition clarinets.
