Claire Janezic (VS), Annie Gao (VS), Anne Lu (CAN), Oleksandra Makarova (UA) and Joseph Min (VS) competed for the honour of a prize, if possible the first prize, the audience prize, the improvisation prize and / or the prize for the best performance of the compulsory work during the 9th International Carillon Competition Queen Fabiola which has just been concluded in Mechelen.
For a week, Mechelen, the carillon city par excellence in the world, was immersed in many hours of carillon sounds from the mighty Sint-Romboutstoren. 15 candidates from all corners of the world gathered to give their best in this undeniably most important carillon competition in the world. It was former director of the Royal Carillon School and city carillonneur Jo Haazen who took the initiative for this competition whose first edition took place in 1987. The aim was not only to confirm Mechelen as a carillon centre, but also and especially to raise the level of carillon playing and to internationalize it even more. In all respects this has succeeded. The level was raised to that of soloists of international top rank, more and more students came, especially from the United States of America, to the institute, in Russia a real carillon school emerged. It is up to the current, younger generation of carillonneurs to have more instruments built and to have outdated instruments restored, renewed, replaced, whether or not. Whoever heard the young top artists at work may assume that they will ensure the future of the carillon, not without good reason an intangible UNESCO world heritage, and indeed at an unprecedented level of excellence.
After the qualifying rounds, the five mentioned candidates remained who performed on Saturday, July 13 on the Sint-Romboutscarillon where they performed among others the compulsory work by Joey Brink alongside repertoire pieces. On Sunday, July 14, they had to transform themselves from lonely carillonneurs high in a tower without sight of the public, into platform musicians who performed together with other instruments right in front of the public. In the former monastery church of the Minorites, now one of the cultural halls in Mechelen, the chamber carillon was set up next to percussion and the upright grand piano by Chris Maene. This was played by composer-pianist Jeroen Malaise, the percussion was provided by percussionist Daan Willems. How the carillon sounds in Mechelen is well known, but how would a chamber carillon sound with percussion and piano and would that fit into a competition? In the past this could have been debated. The instrument was not quite perfect yet, the choice of ensemble – orchestra, brass band or something else… It was not obvious. Until now…
Jeroen Malaise took it upon himself – not that he necessarily wanted to become a carillonneur – but he insisted on knowing how a carillonneur behaves at the keyboard. He studied the movements, let his ears get accustomed to the bell sounds and with the necessary information from experienced carillonneurs he set to work to write a work, a 'Nocturne' which – however short it is – can immediately be called a repertoire piece. This should certainly resound in any concert hall. It starts with a soft, fragile sparkle that is followed by a hop to slide back to the first sentences to fade away very softly, dreamily. The instruments flow into each other in a way that leaves you in amazement. How can you suddenly start doubting whether it is the percussion, the piano or the chamber carillon that sounds? And yet it is. The ensemble, the vocal lines, the rhythm, the possibility that the carillonneur has to interpret freely… Yes, it is a competition piece, certainly, but equally certainly a repertoire piece.
Having to listen to this nocturne five times was not disturbing at all, quite the opposite. It was challenging and more than in many other imposed works, the soloist could express himself musically and prove himself. And how that happened. Five different versions, five times very appreciated.
Besides Malaise's Nocturne, the candidates each played a piece of their choice. It was striking that four of the five chose a baroque piece. Probably because the chamber carillon is very light and very suitable for baroque, which is not immediately the case with the heavy carillon in the Sint-Romboutstoren. Time flew by like nothing, something that is always the case when great talents bring performances of a very high standard. It created an excited atmosphere among the public who enthusiastically applauded the five laureates, the jury members and the composers for a long time. Mark Janssens (Klara) linked this competition together with rich words and thus also set the atmosphere that had something of a family. That's how it should be. Look forward with Klassiek Centraal to the next edition in July 2029…
The five laureates and six prize winners
First prize, compulsory work prize: Joseph Min (VS)
Second prize: Annie Gao (VS)
Third prize: Anne Lu (CAN)
Fourth prize: Claire Janezic (VS)
Fifth prize and audience prize: Oleksandra Makarova (UA)
Improvisation prize: Cao Linh Pham (VS)
