Have you met our Festival artist-in-residence, Brecht Valckenaers, yet?

• Musica Ricercata

In 2024, Brecht devised an original programme centred on the young György Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata. He made brief forays into the wider piano repertoire and composed a number of interludes himself. A CD recording of this was released by Evil Penguin Records in February 2026.

• Piano Duos

In 2025, he joined forces with maestro Jan Michiels to explore Ligeti’s music for two pianos. The pianists alternated Ligeti’s work with compositions by Conlon Nancarrow, one of the greatest rhythmic adventurers of the 20th century. Here too, Valckenaers contributed to the discourse with his own idiosyncratic new work for piano duo.

• Études

In 2026, the focus will be on Ligeti’s best-known and most demanding solo piano works: Études. Brecht will once again make a personal selection for this, juxtaposing the works with compositions by other composers and entering into a dialogue with Ligeti himself. Concert Mon 28 Sep 2026, Leuven.

• Shostakovich & Ustvolskaya

In 2025, Brecht opted for an intriguing juxtaposition of (a selection of) Dmitri Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues and piano works by Gina Ustvolskaya.

• Bacewicz & piano quintets

In 2026, Brecht joins the young Karski Quartet in music by Grażyna Bacewicz, an incredibly talented composer well worth discovering. Alongside the Fourth String Quartet, the programme features two beautiful, very different piano quintets. Concert Wed 13 Oct 2026, Leuven.

Through this dual artistic focus, Brecht Valckenaers continues to build on his promising career. At the same time, his bond with the Leuven festival audience, which is close to his heart, is growing.