Tune into virtuoso music of all stripes plus cult screenings and performances

Three master musicians, Massot-Florizoone-Horbaczewski (pictured above), meet at Muziekpublique on May 18 for a rendition of their second album, Balades Ephémères. The Belgian jazz trio cross into folk and classical territory competition with their unlikely partnership of accordion, tuba and cello. We have a pair of tickets to give away. See our Facebook page for details.

The country’s most prestigious event in the classical music calendar, the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition 2013, is already under way. The focus is on the piano this year and young musicians, on the brink of international careers, are performing in the first round of the gruelling competition until tomorrow. The competition is a world leader when it comes to launching the careers of talented musicians from all corners of the globe. The semi-finals run from Monday until May 18, also at Flagey, while the final is staged at Bozar from May 27 to June 1. Tickets for the first rounds are the easiest to come by: €7 per session. Semi-final session tickets are €10 afternoon and €12 evening. Spare a thought for the stamina and nerve required by the young musicians to reach the final hurdle!

If you always fancied belting out an operatic aria in public, here’s your chance with a group singalong at the European Opera Days on Sunday at Place de la Monnaie. Numerous other opera-themed activities include performances of works by Verdi and Wagner in honour of the composers’ bicentenary, films, backstage tours (in French and Dutch) and workshops for all the family.

Who can resist the appeal of a DVD boxset of a classic TV series? From US crime to UK costume drama and Scandinavian thrillers, they keep us glued to the sofa during the long winter months. Addicts can now head to Bozar for Are you series?, the first Brussels festival devoted to Belgian, European and world TV series, from May 10 to 12. Conferences, screenings and talks with directors and actors cover all aspects of the genre. Screenings include British series Karaoke and Cold Lazarus, award-winning The Slap from Australia and Flemish series Clan.

American author Alan Ball is behind some of his country’s biggest small- and large-screen hits: Six Feet Under, True Blood and American Beauty. His playwriting credentials include All That I Will Ever Be, a further study of the dark undercurrents of contemporary society. A French-language version of the play Tout ce que je serai is being staged at Théâtre des Martyrs until May 26. The Cie Biloxi production is directed by Christian Delmotte and follows a previous adaptation of Ball’s drama Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

Back to literature again with an evening devoted to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. He discusses cinema and literature with young Flemish writer Roderik Six, author of Vloed (Flood). The talk (in English) is followed by a screening of Welsh’s cult work Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor.