Fem Devos (b.1995) is a pianist. She performs both as a soloist and in chamber music settings, notably as a member of the Chekhov Trio. As an accompanist, she is affiliated with the conservatories in Aalst and Brussels.
Who passed on your passion for classical music to you?
I come from a musical family. My mother is a professional clarinetist and my father an enthusiastic amateur musician. There was—and still is—always music in the house, both played by us and on CD: classical music, world music, film scores, but also other genres. So it wasn't entirely a surprise that I would also pursue a musical path.
Have you ever considered pursuing your music career abroad?
Because I studied in the Netherlands, I perform there regularly as well. My career is naturally not limited to Belgium. When opportunities arise abroad, I'm happy to pursue them. But I do think it's important to have a home base and to develop myself in Belgium and build a life here. I'm not interested in a career that consists of constant globe-trotting.
Fem Devos and her Chekhov Trio.
What importance do you place on social media as a musician?
I do think it's important to share what I'm working on, to invite people to concerts or events. But I don't manage to do this daily. And I don't think I want to either. It's actually good to be able to unplug from the online world from time to time.
Which late musician do you admire the most, and would you thus like to {{NOTRANSLATE_3}} bring back to life?
Actually, the combination of both is perfect. I really enjoy playing with other people because you can learn from them, gain new insights, and it's simply wonderful to share a musical moment with someone. In that sense, it's also a social thing. But at the same time, I really enjoy solo work because you can do more of your own thing, in complete freedom. You can completely retreat into your own bubble.
Please complete the following: I expect that audiences who come to my concert will...
...be captivated and moved, maintain their focus thanks to the performance, and experience what I experience.
What else would you like to know about?
I'd like to know more about the world, its cultures, and their history. As a teenager, I actually hated history—I really couldn't care less about it. But now I regret that a bit (laughs), and I'm trying to catch up by learning about many things.
I have already participated in competitions. Those were always chamber music competitions. Both with the Desguin Quartet and the Firgun Ensemble we {{NOTRANSLATE_6}} guilty pleasure that you're happy to share?
When I don't feel like studying, I love to slip behind the piano and play some light music. It could be pop songs or tunes from Disney films. Because that lighter music is easier to play, pleasant to the ear, and often has a "feel good" vibe, I don't need to think too hard about it.What music are you currently working on; and why?I'm currently working on the solo piano repertoire of
Raoul De Smet
(b. 1936), a composer from Antwerp. I've already performed a few of his pieces, including the world premiere of a Piano Concerto with orchestra. He's asked me to record a large portion of his piano repertoire, especially pieces that haven't been performed or recorded before. I've completed one recording session and we'll continue in the spring. It's a project meant to promote his own music. I find it interesting to study music that no one else has tackled before. And hopefully it will create opportunities to perform these pieces live. On top of that, there are many student showcases at the academy in February, so there's also quite a bit of piano accompaniment work on the schedule. What project would you start immediately if you had unlimited time, resources, and possibilities? That's a tough one, because there's so much to do. Given unlimited possibilities, I immediately thought of something for large hands: all of Rachmaninoff's concertos, for example. That requires a lot of time and power. And big hands, of course.
By trying to reduce the number of screens, and thus the number of stimuli. It also helps to do calming things like reading, walking in nature, playing a board game, or doing something creative like macramé or painting. And cuddling with the cat can work wonders too, of course!
The endless to-do lists of freelance musicians (
How do you find peace of mind?
If you want to achieve something professionally, and you pull out all the stops to get there, it usually works out with a little patience. So nothing is impossible, as long as you do your best and give it enough time.
What keeps you up at night?
On February 22laughs).
What's the most important lesson life has taught you so far?
I'm performing with the Chekhov Trio at the
Where can we see and hear you perform soon, and in what ensemble configuration?
Cultuurkapel Odulphus in Dendermonde. After that, I'll refocus on recording music by Raoul De Smet. In May, I'll be back with the Chekhov Trio at De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam for Frieda Belinfante : a musical theater meetsopera production about the life and career of musician, conductor, and resistance fighter Frieda Belinfante. Another project in the same period is Des Knaben Wunderhorn in the small hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam: a family concert featuring music by Gustav Mahler. Are you a young musician and want to be featured in 'In the Spotlight'? You can! This column works with a questionnaire of forty-four questions. You choose which questions you'd like to answer yourself. We'll have a short interview and before you know it, you'll appear on these pages too. Interested? Send an email to tim[@]klassiek-centraal.be Yoshie Kuwayama & Clara Evens
Rhapsody In Blue - Fem Devos | Saxophone Orchestra
