Concerts

Raphaella Smits & Duo Savigni

📅 Sunday, March 16

⏰ 14:30

Raphaella Smits presents a journey into the expressive world of the Romantic guitar and Duo Savigni presents a programme that celebrates the Romantic repertoire for guitar and fortepiano while honoring the invaluable contributions of women to the art of composition. Performing on original instruments, they explore mid-19th-century works written specifically for this duo formation, alongside modern transcriptions. Their programme features original compositions by renowned guitarist Joseph Kaspar Mertz and pianist Josephine Plantin, as well as newly transcribed works by Duo Savigni, including music by Clara Wieck Schumann, a central figure of the Romantic movement.

KCB Guitar Showcase

📅 Monday, March 17

⏰ 20:00

Showcasing the artistry and versatility of the KCB guitar department.

Arranged by the KCB Guitar Department

📅 Tuesday, March 18

⏰ 12:30

Students present their own arrangements of classical and contemporary music.

Del Sablon / Cedric Honings and Jeroen Soors

📅 Wednesday, March 19

⏰ 20:00

From the heart of Brussels, Del Sablon brings a vibrant mix of cultures and styles, creating an intimate yet energetic musical experience. The group is composed of Mexican singer-songwriter Ana Ferper, Italian guitarist Luca Isolani, Belgian percussionist Jelle Vandooren, and French bass player Grégoire Bayard. Drawing from their diverse artistic backgrounds, they come together to celebrate the multicultural essence of modern society. After performing extensively across Belgium, France, and Italy, Del Sablon released their debut EP, NIÑO, in collaboration with the Italian label Mr. Few. The album, preceded by the single El Desierto, blends contemporary cumbia, huapango, and ranchera rhythms with a fresh and modern sound. The themes addressed in the album tell, literally and metaphorically, about stories of contemporary society: the hope of young refugees; the levity of a glass of wine with friends; the relevance of family ties in times of wars and pandemics; the feminism; the warmth of love songs. The title track, Niño, is a tribute to children—their unfiltered view of the world, their intelligence, and their freedom from prejudice. It highlights their right to happiness in a world that too often leaves them stranded at sea or behind barbed wire. For this special event, Del Sablon will be joined on stage by Aquiles Navarro, the Canadian-Panamanian trumpet player from internationally acclaimed band Irreversible Entanglements. Guitarist Cédric Honings and oboist Jeroen Soors first met in 2022 while preparing for a Noorderklanken concert, and their musical connection has since flourished into a captivating duo. Together, they present a program that explores the evocative blend of oboe and guitar, featuring works by Astor Piazzolla, Ennio Morricone, and Joaquín Rodrigo. Jeroen Soors, solo oboist of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, as well as a professor at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, brings his lyrical expressivity to the ensemble. Meanwhile, Cédric Honings, an award-winning guitarist studying at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, enriches the program with his refined artistry and international experience as a soloist. Expect a night of beautiful, unexpected sonorities—an intimate yet powerful pairing of instruments that will capture your heart.

Dušan Bogdanović - Solo and Chamber Works

📅 Thursday, March 20

⏰ 20:00

Antigoni Goni Presents Iconic Chamber Works by Dušan Bogdanović

📅 Saturday, March 22

⏰ 14:30

The concert on the 23rd of March at the Brussels Royal Conservatory will present a selection of works by Dusan Bogdanovic, which are at the midpoint between arranging and composing. “Written for Antigoni Goni, “Delphic Hymns” contain some of the oldest notated music in the world. In composing this piece I have followed the architecture of the music to give it contemporary clothing. A similar recreation of Sting’s favorite songs, “Prisms” involve many of my stylistic influences including Balkan folk elements, jazz, classical contrapuntal forms, African polyrhythms and others. Sting said this about the music: “How exciting to hear these new compositions arise from the broken fragments of my songs, unfettered by the necessity to avoid dissonance, and freed of the dictatorial chains of common time and rudimentary harmony, to soar like a flight of starlings into a limitless sky”. The program will also feature a selection of my arrangements of short pieces which are an homage to the blossoming of the folk music traditions of the world. The world premiere at this concert “Music Gardens” is dedicated to the Goni & Perretta duo-a piece derived from a splendid vocal piece “Adieu, adieu“ by the 15th-century French composer, Gilles Binchois. This piece is also the fundamental idea behind the “Music Gardens” project featuring Goni & Perretta musical tour and the Naxos CD recording which is planned for the latter part of this year”. Dusan Bogdanovic-Geneva 9/2/2025