Rainer Hilger studied at the Conservatoire royal de Liège where he graduated in accompanying piano, chamber music, written harmony, practical harmony, music history, music analysis and general psychopedagogy, and where he obtained the diplôme supérieur in piano.
Furthermore he attended conducting classes with Enrico Delomboye and Jan Stulen, and choir conducting courses with Ludo Claesen at the Conservatorium Maastricht (NL) where he obtained a Bachelor degree in orchestral conducting and a Master degree in choral conducting. Then he obtained a Master degree in orchestral conducting at the Lemmensintituut Leuven by visiting conducting lessons with Jan Van der Roost, Edmond Saveniers and Ivan Meylemans.
Additionally he attended Eric Ericson’s Masterclass in Haarlem (NL), a renowned master class that enabled him to work with the Nederlands Kamerkoor and the Groot Omroepkoor. He also participated in masterclasses by Johannes Prinz, Anders Eby, Kaspars Putnins, Grete Pedersen, Jos van Veldhoven, Simon Halsey, Hans Leenders and Daniel Reuss. For three years he co-conducted the Kerkraads Symfonie Orkest with Manon Meijs and from 2011 to 2016 he conducted the symphonic wind orchestra Cercle Musical Kelmis.
Rainer Hilger also conducts the East-Belgian wind band Fanfare Musica Nova and he regularly leads choir projects and workshops in East-Belgium and Luxembourg such as the Robert Schuman choir with young singers from four different countries.