Wim Mertens

Artist

Wim Mertens

47

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Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist and musicologist (b. Neerpelt, Belgium, May 14, 1953).
Mertens studied social and political science at the University of Leuven (graduating in 1975) and musicology at Ghent University; he also studied music theory and piano at the Royal Conservatories of Gent and Brussels.
In 1978, he became a producer at the then BRT (Belgian Radio and Television). For Radio 2 (Radio Brabant) he produced concerts by Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Meredith Monk, Urban Sax, and others, and hosted a program called Funky Town together with Gust De Meyer (with whom he recorded the experimental CD For Amusement Only).
Known primarily as a composer since the late 1970s, Mertens is best known for his opus "Struggle for Pleasure". He is also well known for his piece "Maximizing the Audience", which was composed for Jan Fabre's play The Power of Theatrical Madness, which premiered in 1984 in Venice, Italy.

Mertens' style, while continually evolving during the course of his prolific output, touches veins of minimalist, ambient and avant-garde, usually, however, preserving a melodic foundation to the forays that he makes into the worlds that he is exploring.
Mertens' music was used in the 1987 Peter Greenaway film The Belly of an Architect, along with that of Glenn Branca.
Mertens also recorded under the name "Soft Verdict", and is the author of American Minimal Music, which looks at the school of American repetitive music.
In March 1998 Mertens became the Cultural Ambassador of Flanders.

See also companies WM Music (2) and WM Music (2).

Data provided by Discogs

Top Tracks

Most popular songs on Last.fm · click ▶ to preview on Spotify

1

Close Cover

Wim Mertens

2

Struggle For Pleasure

Wim Mertens

3

Often A Bird

Wim Mertens

4

4 mains

Wim Mertens

5

Birds For The Mind

Wim Mertens

6

Iris

Wim Mertens

7

The Scene

Wim Mertens

8

Humility

Wim Mertens

9

Tourtour

Wim Mertens

10

Time Passing

Wim Mertens

Setlists

20 live performances · data from Setlist.fm

All · 20
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021

Setlist data provided by Setlist.fm

March 19, 2026

Grote Zaal

Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands


January 31, 2026

Aula Magna

Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

  • 1. Bon gré mal gré

  • 2. Want het was me het weekje weer wel

  • 3. Error-tolerant

  • 4. Weakening It

  • 5.

  • 6. Matching Markers

  • 7. 4 Mains

  • 8. Marina’s Music

  • 9. Struggle for Pleasure

  • 10. Wound to Wound


January 30, 2026

Convento São Francisco

Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal


May 10, 2025

Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain


June 16, 2024

Grote Zaal

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

  • 1. Struggle for Pleasure

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Wim Mertens has released 47 albums between 1985 and 2023. Notable releases include Voice Of The Living, Heroides, That Which Is Not. Explore their complete discography on this page.

Wim Mertens' most-played tracks include Close Cover, Struggle For Pleasure, Often A Bird, 4 mains, Birds For The Mind. Listen to these songs and explore more from their catalog on this page.

Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist and musicologist (b. Neerpelt, Belgium, May 14, 1953).Mertens studied social and political science at the University of Leuven (graduating in 1975) and musicology at Ghent University; he als... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find Wim Mertens vinyl records, CDs and collectibles on eBay. Browse the selection of new and used releases available for purchase.

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