The Peter Benoit Fund, founded in 1902 by Edward Keurvels, has as its mission to preserve and promote the work and legacy of Peter Benoit and other Flemish composers. As the oldest heritage association in Flanders, the fund also supports contemporary composers by programming and promoting their work.
The De la Haye Ensemble, consisting of Jeong Sun Goo (violin), Daan De Vos (cello) and Bart Meuris (piano), specializes in contemporary classical chamber music. Their programs confront masterpieces from the past with surprises from the 20th and 21st centuries. They pay special attention to composers from our own region and are actively committed to new creations. The ensemble's name refers to the Belgian painter Raymond de la Haye (1882-1914), who left behind a remarkable oeuvre based on a symbolist and luminist vision.
At the traditional autumn concert of the Peter Benoit Fund, the ensemble presents a fascinating program that highlights the versatility and richness of contemporary chamber music. Three Flemish composers take center stage: Wim Henderickx (1962-2022), Luc Van Hove (1957), and Jan Hendrik Van Damme (1965). Each of them wrote a trio for violin, cello, and piano, two of which will be premiered.
Wim Henderickx's Piano Trio (In der seidenen Stille), composed in 2012, is inspired by a verse by Rainer Maria Rilke. This meditative work, full of subtle dynamics, allows melody and timbre to flow into each other. Luc Van Hove, who knows the Western tradition like no other, gives a nod to French composer Olivier Messiaen in his Trio op. 57.
He dedicates this five-part work to the De la Haye Ensemble. Jan Hendrik Van Damme based his latest trio on Henri Matisse's paintings Le bonheur de vivre and La Danse, which are closely related in their themes.
The evening will also be enriched by a performance of Phrases by Annelies Van Parys, performed by students from the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. This concert promises to be a compelling dialogue between tradition and innovation, full of expressiveness and complexity.