Xavier EECKELOOT was born in October of 1975 in Dunkerque, France. He received his music education at the Music Academy of Dunkerque where he studied clarinet for 10 years. At age 16 he joined the Orchestre d’Harmonie de Dunkerque, an award winning non-professional band in France, where he played bass clarinet. His musical travels took him to England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Israel.

Xavier currently resides in Strasbourg, France, where arranging and composing music is a passion, and has been writing music for short ensembles - mainly for clarinet - but also for concert band for several years. Not having grown up in a particularly musically oriented family, he sought out musical experiences and knowledge from other musicians, directors, composers and arrangers. He has been teaching clarinet for five years in suburban Strasbourg and is currently the associate director of The Plobsheim Concert Band, Plobsheim, France. He created "Esperanza" - his own clarinet quartet in 2005 and now aims at sharing his music.