Jef van Hoof

Jef Van Hoof (8 May 1886 – 24 April 1959) was a Belgian composer and conductor with a Flemish ethnic background. After World War I, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for collaborating with the German occupiers.

Born in Antwerp, Van Hoof was a pupil of Paul Gilson and was heavily influenced by the works of Peter Benoit. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, of which he was the director from 1942 to 1944. In 1933 he founded the Flemish National Song Festival (Vlaams Nationaal Zangfeest) where he worked as a conductor for many years. He also conducted concerts associated with the Flemish Movement. He died in Antwerp in 1959 at the age of 72.

He composed chamber music, symphonic works, art songs, works for solo piano, carillon, organ, as well as sacred music. He is particularly known for writing the Flemish patriotic song "Groeninge" to a text by Guido Gezelle.