MUSIQUE FEMMES FESTIVAL #2
From 17 to 20 October 2024, the Musique Femmes Festival celebrated its second edition, offering Brussels audiences four days of musical discovery, inspiring encounters, and memorable performances. Staying true to its mission of highlighting the work of women composers and creators—past and present—the festival presented a rich, diverse, and forward-looking programme.
From Baroque music to contemporary creations, from jazz to singer-songwriters, and from chamber music and choral singing to emerging talent from Brussels, each concert showcased the remarkable diversity of women's voices and artistic journeys across the musical landscape.
Hosted across several of Brussels' iconic cultural venues—including Cellule 133A, Talk C.E.C., and La Tricoterie—the festival brought together established artists, emerging composers, students, and music lovers around a shared ambition: to revive long-overlooked works, celebrate contemporary creation, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable musical programme.
Program
Opening concert
Thursday 17/10 – Cellule 133A
8 PM: Opening Concert in Three Parts
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Germaine Tailleferre : Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano
Performed by Adèle Legrand, Fiona Feeley, and Ayumi Nabata. -
Tribute to Mary-Lou Williams : Works by Mary-Lou Williams and songs from her era
Performed by Vincent Bruyninckx on piano and Francesca Murro on vocals. -
Nue (Juliette Bensimhon) and Sura Sol, Brussels-based singer-songwriters.
Three concerts
Saturday 19/10 – Talk C.E.C.
4 PM: Two Trios
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Mel Bonis : "Evening," "Morning"
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Lili Boulanger : "Of a Sad Evening," "Of a Spring Morning"
Performed by Isabelle Duval (flute), Caroline Boita (cello), and Camille Jauvion (piano).
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Reena Esmail : Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano
Performed by Hugo Ranilla (violin), Federico Bragetti (cello), and Franco Panizon (piano).
6 PM: Emerging Women Composers
Mervie, Adèle Pham-Minh, and Flora Campbell-Tiech are the three young composers selected by the Compositrix collective to present their works at this second edition of the Musique Femmes Festival.
8:30 PM: Choir & Piano
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Works by Lili Boulanger performed by the Polyphonia Choir : "Hymn to the Sun," "Spring," and "September Sun"
Conductor: Barbara Menier / Piano: Florence Borgers -
Works by Ruth Crawford, Amy Beach, and Clara Schumann
Performed by Kerem Ernur (piano). -
Presentation by our members Cyrille Thoulen and Margaux Sladden on the role of women in 19th-century music.
Closing concerts
Sunday 20/10 – La Tricoterie
11:30 AM: Open Mic Concert
On Sunday, October 20, between 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM, the festival gives a stage to students from the CRB and KCB, featuring various works by female composers.
6:00 PM: Escapade Concert
Sonatas and vocal pieces by Barbara Strozzi and Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, organized in partnership with Concerts Escapades.
Performed by Katja Katanova (violin), Clémence Schiltz (viola da gamba), Pablo Lascano (harpsichord), Stan Geudens (theorbo), and Maria Goncharenko (soprano).
The MFF#2
In a few photos
© - P. Forgeot, G. Hollander