Sebastian Huydts (b.1966) studied piano in Amsterdam with Edith Lateiner Grosz at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In addition, he took post graduate classes with Rian de Waal. He participated in piano master classes with György Sebök, Stephen Bishop, and Earl Wild, and took Chamber Music lessons with Tan Crone. Mr. Huydts has performed solo, with orchestra and in chamber music throughout Northern Europe and the Midwest and has appeared frequently on Dutch and Chicagoland radio. As a composer he has written repertoire for solo instruments as well as various ensembles ranging from duo to orchestra. His style combines innovations that the 20th century provided and the rich expressive means that were developed over centuries of Western music. Many of his works include the piano, either solo or in an ensemble.
 
Notable events in his career include the award of a four-year stipend to study at the Music Department of the University of Chicago, from which he received his Master's Degree in 1995. He has studied Composition with John Eaton, Jay Alan Yim, Andrew Imbrie, Shulamit Ran and Marta Ptaszynska, Computer Music and Composition with Howard Sandroff, and Conducting with Barbara Schubert. He also regularly performs 20th century music with various ensembles.

In April of 1995 his Concerto For Piano And Double String Orchestra was premiered by the University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the composer at the piano. The concerto was awarded the Paul and Olga Menn prize for original compositions. In 1995 he was commissioned by the "Rhijnauwen Chamber Music Festival" to write a song cycle for alto-mezzo Marion van den Akker, pianist Rian de Waal and string quartet on texts by the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.In May of 1996 his Concerto da Camera for solo viola and 7 instrumentalists received its first performance by the Contemporary Chamber Players in Mandel Hall with violist Keith Conant under the baton of Barbara Schubert.

Other recent works include “Memento Amare” (in memory of the bassoonist Bruce Grainger) for bassoon, viola and piano, a Concerto for Sitar-Guitar and Orchestra, commissioned by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and acclaimed soloist Fareed Haque, a String Quartet, Music for Flute and Piano, and the Octet commissioned and performed by the Chicago Chamber Musicians in 1998. Recently he received two commissions by the Rembrandt Chamber Players in Chicago to write chamber music which has been performed in the past two concert seasons.

During the last six academic years, Mr. Huydts has taught at the College of the University of Chicago, Lake Forest College and The Merit Music Program. From 1997 until 1999 he taught ear-training and theory review at Northwestern University. As of Fall 1998, Mr. Huydts has been appointed Artist-in-Residence at the Music Department of Columbia College Chicago where he is supervisor and teacher of keyboard studies, music theory and computer music. For the 1999-2000 season Mr. Huydts served as Composer in Residence at the Music in the Loft concert series. At present, he is composer in residence with Chicago’s New Music Ensemble CUBE. In this position, he received a grant from the American Composer’s Forum to write music for children’s concerts.