Festival Musiq3 takes over the Flagey district from June 30 to July 2 and kicks off Les Festivals de Wallonie. Studio 1 and 2 in Flagey open their doors to classical repertoire, and the nearby Théâtre Marni to more hybrid concerts. The varied and stimulating program, built around the theme 'Utopias', invites visitors to immerse themselves in the music. A highlight is already the opening concert with young Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano and Brussels Philharmonic.
This year, Musiq3 brings a diverse program of 16 concerts in Flagey and Théâtre Marni. The venues are close to each other and the concerts flow smoothly, allowing visitors to combine several. But the different genres also make the program dynamic, ranging from classical to cross-pollinations with, for example, jazz, pop or electronic music.
"More than ever, Festival Musiq3 wants to be a meeting place where different musical styles and generations of artists come together," emphasizes program curator Julie Calbete. "Some have just graduated from conservatory - such as the members of the Festival Orchestra - or are laureates of their first competitions, while others are established names."
The opening concert immediately sets the tone with Brussels Philharmonic under the direction of the sensational Glass Marcano in a surprising encounter between the very romantic Tsjaikovski and his Symphony No. 5 and Cuban Pérez Prado, the 'king of the mambo'. The Venezuelan conductor is making her Belgian debut with this concert. Her musical energy and joy in conducting fascinate audiences around the world. Marcano was discovered through El Sistema, a Venezuelan initiative for social advancement through music. Alongside her law studies, she took evening conducting lessons and three years ago still sold fruit at a market to participate in the La Maestra competition in Paris. She was discovered at age 25, and since then she has scaled great heights in the world of classical music (Friday 30/06, 7 pm, Flagey, Studio 4).
At Théâtre Marni there is room for an adventurous mix of styles. For instance, on opening night there is a special performance of Metamorphoses by Richard Strauss. This sublime score for string orchestra, inspired by the destruction of Germany after the Nazi defeat, brings three different worlds together in a multimedia experience. First, that of classical music, with the Musiq3 Festival Orchestra conducted by Shirly Laub on violin. Then also electronics, with a composition and visual mapping by Before Tigers and Skymry. Finally, there is also poetry, as Camille Pier lets her poems dialogue with the verses of Goethe (Friday 30/06, 9 pm).
In L'oasis, also at Théâtre Marni, Ivan Tirtiaux brings together eight musicians, including a string quartet and electro composer-musician Pierre Slinckx. Together they perform a series of French-language songs, inspired by folk, Brassens, Nick Drake, and French melodies by Berlioz, Duparc or Fauré (Saturday 01/07, 9 pm, Marni).
The theme 'Utopias' runs as a red thread through the concerts and connects the programs of Festivals de Wallonie. Cellist Astrig Siranossian reconciles popular and classical music, East and West, and Armenia and Europe in her concert Racines. She couples Bach, Ligeti and Kodaly with the Armenian songs of her grandparents (Friday 30/06, 8:30 pm, Flagey, Studio 1). The concert Nocturnes by vocal and orchestral ensemble La Tempête conducted by Simon-Pierre Bestion immerses Studio 4 in an imagined Orthodox ritual. A spatialized version of Rachmaninov's Vespers mingles with Byzantine chants by Adrian Sirbu (Saturday 01/07, 8:30 pm, Flagey, Studio 4).
Rachmaninov's 150th birthday is also a connecting theme in the program. In Romantiques toujours! Beatrice Berrut, festival artist of Les Festivals de Wallonie, and Bruno Philippe lead a romantic dialogue between piano and cello in one of Rachmaninov's sonatas and in Schumann's Fantasiestücke (Sunday 02/07, 5 pm, Flagey, Studio 1). Also in Studio 1, Belgian pianist Florian Noack guides us through his very personal program Trans(e)criptions, in which he presents his own piano arrangements of orchestral works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Rimsky-Korsakov and Susato (Saturday 01/07, 6 pm, Flagey, Studio 1). On Saturday evening, in the same intimate setting, Music of the Stars takes place by the philosophical-musical duo Doppio Stile, with Waldo Geuns on piano and Hugh Desmond on violin. It promises to be a surprising concert that brings together the music of Xenakis, Pärt and Glass with breathtaking images of our solar system and other galactic constellations.
The closing concert is special in several ways: Brussels Philharmonic is back, this time under the direction of rising talent Pieter-Jelle de Boer, with works by Bernstein. Korean pianist Su Yeon Kim, laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2021, will also be heard for the first time in the fascinating yet rarely performed Concerto in F by Gershwin. Finally, Duo Xilema, the laureates of the Classical Generation Competition 2022, bring the renowned Ravel Waltz (Sunday 02/07, 7:30 pm, Flagey, Studio 4).
"With this program we want to invite people to be guided by curiosity, to take time for a discovery pause beyond age or genres," concludes Julie Calbete.
In addition to the concerts, the intimate Studio 3 is transformed into an audiovisual installation accessible throughout the weekend. Outside on Sint-Kruisplein, visitors can relax and enjoy the festival atmosphere thanks to a rooftop with surprising DJ sets. Relaxation guaranteed!