Schedule of Echo 2025: Classical music sector day

This year's State of the Union & Youth will be presented by keynote speakers Anne La Berge and Diamanda La Berge Dramm. Both musicians move on the intersection between contemporary and classical and, as mother and daughter, have a very unique perspective on the intersections and fault lines between generations.

Belgium has long been known nationally and internationally for its strong offering of classical music for young audiences. But what exactly does that programme look like? Why does a creator choose a young audience, how do you deal with this, and what can the rest of the classical music sector learn from this? Ward Bosmans of Flanders Arts Institute puts these questions to Rebecca Diependaele, Liesbeth Peelman and Liesbeth Bodyn.

• Rebecca Diependaele is a musicologist and director at MATRIX [Center for New Music]. Her team at MATRIX runs a library and documentation center, and organizes educational projects around new music for young and old including exhibitions, participatory creation workshops for music teachers, and most recently the book “Head Full of Sounds” by Emilie Lauwers and Annemarie Peeters.
• Liesbeth Peelman is trained as a flutist, but started her carreer at Jeugd en Muziek and then became the coordinator of education & outreach at ASO. Now she works as a programmer for young audiences and development coordinator at the Bijloke in Ghent. Together with artists and ensembles, she creates productions tailored for schools and families, with a focus on social relevance for the entire audience.

Language: in Dutch.

Today, the conservatory remains the obvious preparation for a career as a professional classical musician. But to what extent do current curricula connect with the professional field in which new generations are finding their way? Paul Craenen discusses the present and future of higher music education with Jolente de Maeyer, Jan Philipp Sprick and Joris Blancquaert.

• Paul Craenen is a composer and research professor at The Hague Conservatory of Music. There he leads the Music, Education and Society lectureship, which deals with "the changing role and significance of musical expertise in contemporary culture and society, and on the consequences of these changes for the curriculum in higher music education.
• Jolente de Maeyer is a professional violinist, artistic director of the string ensemble BRYGGEN, professor of violin at the Conservatory of Tilburg and principal study teacher in violin at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.
• Jan Philipp Sprick is director of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, and represents on Echo AEC, the European Association of Conservatories, Music Academies and Music Colleges.
• Joris Blancquaert studied jazz accordion and composition at KASK & Conservatory in Ghent. His work has been performed by several leading ensembles. He is training committee chairman, researcher and teacher at KASK & Conservatory.

Language: English.

The government rightly encourages archival care in the arts sector. Everyone subscribes to the importance of continuous documentation, but what about the legacy of composers and musicians who finish their oeuvre or have passed away? Artists leave behind special archives, collections or practices. How can we best make these accessible? Who is it accessible to? What role does the government play in this? Is there a difference between the legacy of a composer or a musician? Mariet Calsius talks to Birgit Van Cleemput, Bea Steylaert and Diederik Glorieux and Claudia Stobrawa. How did they approach it? Which best practices were inspiring? What were the challenges and which collaborations were relevant?

• Birgit Van Cleemput is a musicologist and music compiler at Klara. Birgit is the widow of Luc Brewaeys and closely involved in the creation of the Luc Brewaeys Foundation.
• Bea Steylaert is the widow of Wim Henderickx. For years, she framed his work. Bea is actively involved in archiving his artistic legacy.
• Diederik Glorieux is a composer, conductor and performing musician. From 2005 to 2022, he was musical assistant to Wim Henderickx, currently working on his legacy.
• Claudia Stobrawa (BA MA) was active at Oper Leipzig, Oper Halle and Theater an der Wien. Since 2023, she has led the Nikolaus Harnoncourt Zentrum at Brückner University in Linz.

Language: English.

A career as a musician is demanding on body and mind. How do we prepare young musicians for the physical and mental challenges of being a musician? How do we take care of our ageing musicians? Jeroen Vanbever and Judith Vindevogel discuss sustainable self-care. About attention, the power of language and embracing change.

• Jeroen Vanbever is a professional saxophonist, educator and teacher at LUCA School of Arts, Campus Lemmens, among others. As a career and mental coach, he guides musicians and performing artists to build a sustainable career and become mentally stronger and more resilient.
• Judith Vindevogel is a singer and pioneer of Flemish musical theatre. She has been a guest lecturer at several art colleges and coaches musicians, singers, dancers and actors in the Alexander Technique.
• Moderator Eva De Groote is an audio-maker, writer and connector. She focuses on art and society, sustainable systems and personal revolutions.

Language: Dutch.

‘Kinder macht Neues!’, Wagner once wrote to Liszt. It is the driving force behind musical history: new generations moving away from the older guard(s), exploring new paths. How do contemporary iconoclasts relate to the rich tradition of classical music? What do we leave behind, what do we take with us? Lena Meyskens talks to Aïda Gabriëls, Manoj Kamps and Peter Vermeersch.

• Lena Meyskens is a dramaturge and researcher specialising in queer, drag and opera. As a dramaturge, she is currently active with One Trick Pony (Liesa van der Aa) and Timo Tembuyser. Meyskens regularly gives guest lectures and workshops at International Opera Academy and VUB, among others, and teaches opera history and music theory at the Toneelschool Maastricht.
• Aïda Gabriëls is a director. Her work fuses classical music with other art forms. Together with dramaturge Tessa Vannieuwenhuyze, Gabriëls forms the duo Oyster, which aims to rediscover the opera genre as a transdisciplinary playing field. She is also artistic director of Music Theatre Now.
• Manoj Kamps describes himself as a queer conductor, theatre-maker and composer, with Sri Lankan, Dutch and British roots. Kamps is also active as a writer, teacher and speaker. As a conductor, he is regularly active with Asko|Schönberg, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Cappella Amsterdam and Silbersee.
• Peter Vermeersch is a composer and musician. He is the founder and artistic director of Flat Earth Society: an atypical big band ensemble that mixes elements of jazz, rock and punk with chaotic creativity.

Language: English.

Once you founded an ensemble, driven by vision, energy and idealism. The project caught on: decades later, your company is indelibly on the map and you can look back on a rich career. How do you wave goodbye as artistic director of a renowned ensemble that bears your stamp? Do you anticipate the future, or do you carry on until that is no longer possible? Alain Platel, Eric Sleichim and Hildegard De Vuyst reflect on farewell and succession in the arts.

• Choreographer Alain Platel was artistic director of les ballets C de la B for more than 35 years. In 2023, he passed the torch to dramaturg Hildegard De Vuyst, with whom he worked for many years. The company bored into laGeste and is now under her artistic direction.
• Eric Sleichim is saxophonist and inspirer of BL!NDMAN. What began in 1988 as an adventurous saxophone quartet grew into a quartet collective that invariably continues to surprise. Sleichim is also forging plans around his succession.
• Moderator Katherina Lindekens is a dramaturge at Klarafestival and works freelance with artists in music theatre, dance and audio.

Language: Dutch.