Greet de clerck shines. The director of the 150-year-old stedelijke academie voor muziek, woord en dans van turnhout is in hammelburg for the first time. She selected nine of her most talented music students to perform a classical concert on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the town twinning between hammelburg and turnhout in belgium. Almost 2000 students attend the largest academy of its kind in flanders. The chosen students were very proud to be able to give a concert in such a solemn setting, reports de clerck.
The dynamic chairman of the turnhout twinning committee, jose lenders, has been a member since 1984 and has visited hammelburg many times. On the german side, it is elfriede bock from the cultural office of the city of hammelburg, who has actively accompanied the city partnership for 20 years. 64 turnhouters traveled to the anniversary with jose lenders, says bock. They enjoyed this special weekend. The program includes a visit to the winery, the planting of a linden tree for the respective chairman, a guided tour of the city, the jubilee concert and many epicurean delights.
A special anniversary indicates a special place for a sonorous concert. Selected classical music pieces from galuppi to faure to hisaishi were played in the klosterkirche altstadt.
Young musicians and living composers
The 17 year old cellist joris de dier and azra hadzic on the flugel gave the opening with "sicilienne", a melodic piece, softly and melancholically played, from the pen of the french composer gabriel faure. Cello and flugel were followed by a saxophone quartet. Joren de kort with his soprano saxophone, the 16-year-old silke van den broeck with the alto saxophone, matthias van hemeldonck alternately playing an alto and a baritone saxophone and bettie peijen with the tenor saxophone played next to "cordoba" by ernesto lecuona even two parts of a serenade composed by her teacher hans aerts. The golden instruments of the elegantly dressed young ladies and their male musician colleagues blended very harmoniously into the magnificent surroundings of the monastery church. The joyful, lively and powerful works were a delight for the ears.
The quartet was followed by a trio. De kort, peijen and van hemeldonck played a sonata by galuppi and one piece each by two living composers: "novena" the italian composer ilio volante and "summer" of the japanese composer, author and director joe hisaishi, loving and modern. Young musicians and young composers of classical music – a real feast for the ears.
Three musical sisters
The successful concert found its crowning conclusion with the performance of the strikingly musically gifted sisters annelis, sarah and lotte bayens. The only 15-year-old lotte on the flugel, annelies with the transverse flute and sarah with her violin, who is already studying at a conservatory, played multifaceted, from delicate to powerful and contrary to the program first "five hebrew love songs", then a goal each from jacques ibert and franz doppler. All musicians performed the very interesting selection of pieces skillfully. The audience thanked the young artists with a standing ovation.
Hammelburg’s mayor armin warmuth thanked the young belgian guests and was taken with the idea that perhaps one day students from the turnhout academy could hold a seminar at the bavarian music academy in hammelburg. Music connects and can strengthen (city) bonds in a sonorous way.