Léon van Hout was a Belgian

Belgians

Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...

 violist

Viola

The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...

 and music educator.

From 1888 to 1894 Van Hout was the violist of the Ysaÿe Quartet

Ysaÿe Quartet (1886)

The Ysaÿe Quartet was established in 1886 by Eugène Ysaÿe.Its members were:* Eugène Ysaÿe, 1st violin* Mathieu Crickboom, 2nd violin* Léon van Hout, viola* Joseph Jacob, celloThe quartet premiered Claude Debussy's String Quartet on December 29, 1893....

 along with cellist Joseph Jacob

Joseph Jacob (cellist)

Joseph Jacob was a Belgian cellist who taught at the Ghent Conservatory and played in the Ysaÿe Quartet from 1886.Jacob's students included Rosario Bourdon....

, and violinists Mathieu Crickboom

Mathieu Crickboom

Mathieu Crickboom was a Belgian violinist, who was born in Verviers and died in Brussels.Crickboom was the principal disciple of Eugène Ysaÿe, who dedicated to him his Sonata for Violin Alone No. 5...

 and Eugène Ysaÿe

Eugène Ysaÿe

Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...

. He was principal violist of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie

La Monnaie

Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....

 from 1889.

Van Hout was professor of viola at Royal Conservatory of Brussels

Royal Conservatory of Brussels

The Royal Conservatory of Brussels is a drama and music college in Brussels, Belgium. An academy for acting and the arts, it has been attended by many of the top actors and actresses in Belgium such as Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink....

 from 1893. He taught a generation of Belgian violists uncluding Robert Courte, who succeeded him at the Conservatory, Charles Foidart, Lionel Blomme, and Gaston Jacobs. Van Hout inspired many Belgian composers to write works for the viola.

Dedications

• Jean Absil
  Jean Absil
  Jean Absil was a Belgian modernist music composer, organist, and professor at the Brussels Conservatory.- Biography :...
  
   (1893–1974)

Concerto for viola and orchestra, Op. 54 (1942)

• Francis de Bourguignon (1890–1961)

Suite for viola and orchestra, Op. 67 (1940)

• Raymond Chevreuille (1901–1976)

Double Concerto in E major for viola, piano and orchestra, Op. 34 (1946)

Quartet for 4 violas, Op. 24 (1942)

• Albert Huybrechts
  Albert Huybrechts
  Albert Huybrechts was a Belgian composer.-Life:Huybrechts studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and was a pupil of Joseph Jongen...
  
   (1899–1938)

Pastourelle for viola and piano (1934)

Sonatine for flute and viola (1934)

• Léopold Wallner (1847–?)

Suite Polonaise for viola (viola alta) and piano (1896)