It was a joyful reunion with the participants in the fourth edition of Piano LAB in Alden Biesen. For a week, 18 young pianists and their 5 teachers had given their best.
It was hard work during individual lessons and workshops. And practice, because there were Maene pianos in abundance. But also relaxation: football, bowling, cycling, swimming, everything was possible, even if some athletic performances were not always ideal for pianists' fingers and muscles.
Now it was a celebration. There was sun, lots of sun. And that made them look extra enthusiastic and festive. Of the 18, 9 were selected to perform in the Kapelzaal. The others had already been able to show their progress earlier.
Bravo!
It started very properly with the Largo from the Pianosonate No.17, after which the 16-year-old Chinese Sihan Hu - who could rely on her mother's caring presence throughout the week - unleashed a controlled "Tempest" in the Allegro. Victoria De Roeck, striking in a bright yellow vest and black trousers - must be able to do so in this wonderful cultural heritage institution of the Flemish Government -, brought peace and serenity with her Sonetto 104 del Petrarca by Liszt.
Homogeneity and balance characterized the performance that Floris Van den Ende gave of Chopin's Mazurka Op.59 No 1.
Much less accessible is the Piano Sonata by Henri Dutilleux. The interpretation of "Choral and Variations" from it by Yuxuan Chen was both convincing and persuasive.
Aude Van De Keere, stylishly dressed in black, started the beginning of the Second Piano Sonata, which Schumann wanted "So rasch wie möglich", quite cautiously and opened the way to fierce contrasts, such as those that once marked Schumann's life.
Yet another graduate of the Conservatory of Antwerp, energetic Brecht Valckenaers, came out with Skriabin. From his Piano Sonata No.4, Brecht's masterful empathy transformed the unreal and the capricious into a more than enjoyable experience.
The gifted, sparkling "Jeux d'eau" by Ravel performed by Ziyue Tan fitted perfectly into the water-rich decor of the Grote Commanderij with its English and French gardens.
Qianti Chen was not deterred by the feared "Scarbo" from "Gaspard de la Nuit" by Ravel, not always balanced but certainly impressive and full of unexpected passages.
The icing on the cake came from the blonde German Hanna Schwalbe. She seemed to have been plucked straight from a Hamilton photo book. From the first notes of the little-known "Scherzo & Marsch" by Liszt, she led the audience into the imaginative world of the composer that teacher Charlotte Hu had highlighted in her workshop "An emotional and spiritual journey through Liszt's piano music".
Then all participants received a diploma from the hands of their teachers.
Grateful Farewell
The reception in the Orangerie was the ideal opportunity to exchange plans and projects. And to say a grateful goodbye. Especially to the charming, ever-present Mrs. Ludwine Beuckels, who had made herself indispensable not only as a "page turner" but especially as a "Piano Mom" with her caring strength. Just as in a laboratory, patience, know-how and dedication had brought progress.
The established masters are waiting for other masterclasses. That is the case for Cyprien Katsaris: first in the Spanish Vigo, then in Pescara. The charming Charlotte Hu travels via London to her home country as artistic director of PYPA (Philadelphia Young Pianists' Academy), which between 27 July and 4 August calls on great names, including our own Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden.
Florian Noack has a new appointment with Liebrecht Vanbeckevoort in Knokke-Heist, where on 25 July as part of Klassiek Leeft Meesterlijk he will perform for a sold-out audience with the Quatuor Van Kuijk.
