Born in Brussels in 1949, Hugues studied classical singing during six years and started his career in the chorus of the opera at age 20. At the same time, he studied bassoon at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and graduated with distinction in Bassoon, Chamber Music, Musical Training and obtained the music pedagogy degree. Later, he improved with the Master Albert Hennige in Germany and studied Ancient Music with oboist Paul Dombrecht Lemmens in Instituut of Leuven. Laureate by the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation he was bassoon and contrabassoon in the Orchestra of Liège, soloist in the Belgium Radio and Television Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders and Porto Symphony Régie. He performed in concert and give numerous master classes throughout Europe, USA, Brazil, Peru, India and Macao with "La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Concerto Köln, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Capella Compostelana in Santiago de Compostela, Ensemble Rumein (with Sabine Meyer), harmonic Concerto Budapest and Quintet "Artziz" with pianists António Rosado and Pedro Burmester, among others.

He participated in several recordings of CDs with Octophoros, Wiener Akademie, Segréis de Lisboa, Arte Real Ensemble and Flores de Música (Portugal). As a teacher, he created five bassoon courses in Belgium and five in Portugal. He organized two national stages in Belgium, the first Bassoon national stage and the first national meeting of double reeds in Porto. Instructor of martial art "Aikido" founded five centers as well as their own association "aparn" (Portuguese Association of Aikido Northern Region) in Portugal. It was the winds coordinator and was part of the direction of the Department of Music of ESMAE. Today he is Chamber Music teacher, and founder of the course of bassoon and baroque bassoon, of the course of "Aikido" for actors of the Department of Theatre as well as the course "Play Health" (artistic interventions in hospital means) in ESMAE. Founded in July 2013 Orchestra "Musicum Portucalense". It has recently published an autobiography about Hugues Kesteman entitled "Two Lives a Destination".