Belgium Cello Society presents concert series ‘Belgium and its Artists’

Belgium Cello Society unveils its 2021 season of artist recitals with an emphasis on musicians living or working in Belgium. From talented young stars - winners of the 2020 BCS Cello Competition - to established names, they include top soloists, chamber musicians, leaders of major Belgian orchestras and professors of Belgian music conservatories.

The diverse programme ‘Belgium and its Artists’ runs from 13 August to 11 December and is designed to attract even the most discerning cello-lover. All artists were given carte blanche, resulting in highly personal recitals.

Organising the series during the ongoing disruption of Covid has been testing for the BCS, as it's artistic director and cellist Han Bin Yoon (pictured above) affirms: "It may seem counterintuitive, but concert planning actually had to go into maximum overdrive mode when the pandemic hit - to resolve endless cancellations and postponements is exhausting! What's more, to 'plan' any future concert season(s) in these uncertain times comes with great risk.

"However, I need to thank all these incredible musicians for their flexibility and positive spirits in making this series possible. We are all aching to go back on stage for live audiences - no recording can replace the human aspect of hearing music live. This nourishes the soul of the musician and the public alike," he says.

Yoon will be performing himself in the closing concert on 11 December with pianist Lily Maisky (pictured below).

In accordance with the latest Covid safety guidelines, the wearing of masks remains obligatory at all BCS events and the distance of 1.5 metre between the seats remains the norm until further notice. Concerts have been shortened to one-hour programmes (without intermission) and are presented twice a day.

The 2021 series is made possible by the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Service de la Musique Classique, la COCOF, la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale and the generosity of Les Amis de la BCS.

All concerts will take place in the newly opened Brussels venue, Seventy-Eight, thanks to the support of Frans Van Hecke.

Tickets can be reserved in advance or on the day of the performance from 30 minutes before each concert at belgiumcellosociety.com

• 13 August Jérémy Garbarg & Kojiro Okada (1st Prize, 2020 BCS Cello Competition)
• 17 September Olsi Leka & Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden
• 8 October Justus Grimm & Diana Ketler
• 10 October Gary Hoffman & David Selig Sun
• 17 October Raphael Bell & Eliane Reyes
• 24 October Sebastien Walnier & Alexander Gurning
• 13 November Marie Hallynck & Muhiddin Durruoglu
• 19 November Krzysztof Michalski & Aude Van De Keere (3rd Prize, 2020 BCS Cello Competition)
• 20 November Bruno Philippe & Jérôme Ducros
• 27 November Pierre Fontenelle & Marie Datcharry (2nd Prize, 2020 BCS Cello Competition)
• 4 December Amy Norrington & Boyan Vodenitcharov
• 11 December Han Bin Yoon & Lily Maisky

Belgium Cello Society 2021 Programme
13 August-11 December; Friday & Saturday, 18:30 & 20:30; Sunday 14:00 & 16:00
Seventy-Eight, Rue de la Loi 78, 1000 Brussels

Sorry! Our prize giveaway has now closed, but we'll have extra tickets to give away for the November and December dates later this autumn.

Photos: Han Bin Yoon (c) Alfonso Briceno; Lily Maisky (c) Andrej Grilc