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SPECTRA, Filip Rathé, Julien Libeer

Mirror of Mirrors

Maurice Ravel & Kaija Saariaho, Somei Satoh, Tristan Murail, Salvatore Sciarrino, Jean-Luc Fafchamps

In the five movements of his phenomenal piano cycle Miroirs, Ravel gives his imagination free rein: butterflies and birds flutter over the keys, a boat bobs in an ocean of sound, a jester romps about on the strings and church bells peal out over an immense valley. 

In this concert, SPECTRA has added an extra layer of reflection to each of these ‘miroirs’: Saariaho reinvents the butterflies and Satoh the birds; Murail drops another boat on the water, Sciarrino manipulates the boundaries of the night, and Fafchamps expands the reverberations of the bells. 

Mirror of Mirrors is a programme that invites you to immerse yourself in your own imagination. Julien Libeer plays the original ‘mirrors’ (Ravel is one of his favourite composers) on an Erard grand piano from Ravel’s time. The SPECTRA musicians, for over thirty years experts in music from after 1950 and praised time and again for their versatility and precision, will present the new reflections, in changing combinations of one to seven musicians.

Thu 9 Oct · 20:30

Programme

19:45

INTRO (Dutch only)

Klaas Coulembier

20:30

CONCERT 

Ravel: Mirrors

Saariaho: Seven Butterflies

Satoh: Birds in Warped Time II

 Murail: The Mystical Boat

 Sciarrino: At the Edges of the Night

 Fafchamps: Sufi Letter: Sh(în)

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Tips

Séverine Ballon, Evgenia Brendes

Kaija Saariaho
Sun 26 Oct · 14:00

BL!NDMAN [drums], Griet De Geyter, Jill Jeschek

Kaija Saariaho
Tue 14 Oct · 20:30

Mirror of Mirrors is a programme that invites you to immerse yourself in your own imagination

Performers

SPECTRA

SPECTRA

SPECTRA is an ensemble that is curious for new music, with Filip Rathé as artistic director and conductor. The ensemble develops trajectories with composers living in Flanders and promotes their work in an international and historical context. SPECTRA premieres a lot of commissioned works in a continuous dialogue with referential masterpieces from the recent past.

Filip Rathé

Filip Rathé

Filip Rathé is a conductor, composer, musicologist and pianist. Since 1993, he has been artistic director and conductor of SPECTRA, with which he has created more than 130 new works. From 1992 to 2001, he also directed the choir De 2de Adem, which focuses on the performance of contemporary music. In addition to his position teaching contemporary music, chamber music, music theory and composition, Rathé is also dean of KASK & Conservatorium Ghent since 2021.

Julien Libeer

Julien Libeer

Belgian pianist Julien Libeer is praised for his profound musical approach, expressive interpretation and keen understanding of the works he performs. His concerts are invitations to rediscover timeless works by Bach, Mozart or Ravel. He plays with characteristic clarity and heightened sensitivity. Libeer's projects arise from the idea that music can open new perspectives for the listener.

Tickets

€ 25 

Mirror of Mirrors Thu 9 Oct 2025 · 20:30
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Venue

Sint-Geertruikerk

Halfmaartstraat 1
3000 Leuven

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