André Waignein was born on 28th January 1942 in Mouscron (B), a Belgian town located close to Wallonia, Flanders and France. He is of humble origin : his father was a railway employee and his mother worked in the textile industry in Tourcoing (F). He learnt music as an autodidact with his father, who was a musician in a local society ( Harmonie Royale Ste Cécile du Mont-à-Leux (B) ) where he discovered the colours and the dynamics of the windinstruments.

He has had a traditional music career. He studied at the Royal Music Conservatories of Brussels (B) and Mons (B) : music theory, reading-transposition, music history, harmony, counterpoint, composition, trumpet, piano and chamber music. At that time he was a musician in a jazz band of the ORTF (television) in Lille (F), for which he wrote most of the arrangements.

In 1965 – following his musical studies- he taught at the Music Academy in Mouscron (B).
In 1970 he took up the direction of the « West Music Club ». He made it into one of the best jazz formations in Belgium.
In 1974 he became a teacher of music theory at the Royal Music Conservatory in Mons (B).
In 1977, after having passed skills exams, he became the director of the Music Conservatory in Tournai (B).
In 1982 he gave the writing harmony course at the Royal Music Conservatory in Mons.
In 1987 he was appointed teacher of writing harmony at the Royal Music Conservatory in Brussels.
In 2007 he retired.

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