7:30 PM : No Woman, No Cry

To open the third edition of the Musique Femmes Festival, Escapades Concerts invited audiences on a musical journey spanning nearly nine centuries of women’s creativity. From the spiritual depth of Hildegard von Bingen to the striking intensity of Galina Ustvolskaya, and the contemporary voice of Lena Shipova, this concert brought together contrasting musical worlds, moving between contemplation, power, and innovation. An opening evening dedicated to discovery, emotion, and a few unexpected surprises.

• Grand Duet by Galina Ustvolskaya
  Performed by Duarte Soares, piano, and Pieter Stas, cello

• Canticle by Hildegard von Bingen
  Performed by Amel Sdiri, voice, and Pieter Stas, cello

• Creation of the World by Lena Shipova

Music & Poetry

Thursday 09/10 – Cellule 133a

8:00 PM : Music and Poetry

True to the spirit of the Musique Femmes Festival, this evening brought together different aesthetics and eras, weaving connections between classical music, jazz, and singer-songwriter traditions. Three unique artistic worlds came together to celebrate women composers and the richness of women’s musical creativity.

• Medusa Collective — The duo formed by soprano Sonia Lardy and pianist Quentin Meurisse presented a recital combining music and poetry through works by Amy Beach, Rebecca Clarke, and young Belgian composer Fanny Libert. Through the words of renowned poets, the programme delicately explored themes of love, nature, dreams, and the human condition.

• Eight O’clock (1927), Rebecca Clarke / poem by Alfred Edward Housman

  • The Lotos Isles, Op. 76 No. 2, Amy Beach / poem by Alfred Tennyson

  • The Seal Man (1922), Rebecca Clarke / poem by John Masefield

  • I had no cause to be awake (2024), Fanny Libert / poems by Emily Dickinson

  • Sleep, little darling, Op. 29 No. 3, Amy Beach / poem by Harriet Prescott Spofford

• Vincent Bruyninckx — Belgian jazz pianist Vincent Bruyninckx paid tribute to Carla Bley, a major figure in contemporary jazz. In a solo piano performance, he explored the universe of this visionary composer, whose work—at the crossroads of free jazz, lyricism, and experimentation—has left a lasting mark on jazz history.

• COLLINE — Singer-songwriter COLLINE offered a performance where chanson, poetry, and slam came together in a sensitive and intimate universe. Accompanied by Julien Gillain (piano, violin), Marta Soares (double bass), and Zoïa Tescher (drums), she blended jazz, folk, and pop influences to create a moment that was both delicate, committed, and deeply human.

Two concerts

Friday 10/10 – Hôtel de ville de Saint-Gilles

6:00 PM: Open Stage

Students from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Brussels Koninklijk Conservatorium were invited to perform works by women composers.

• Three Songs by Pauline Viardot
  Performed by Juliette Doummar, voice, and Emma Rouau, piano

• Musical Toys by Sofia Gubaidulina (excerpts)
  Performed by Camille Brusset, piano

• Saxophonesques by Fernande Decruck (excerpts)
  Performed by Valentijn Lievens and Morgane Caspers, saxophones

• Pavane by Fernande Decruck for saxophone quartet
  Performed by Antòn Gomez Martín, Cristina Rodríguez Sánchez, David Torralbo Alcaide, and Maria Chiara Tunno

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8:00 PM: Cécile

The life of Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944) deserved a performance of its own. A composer whose career unfolded between two centuries, with a distinctive post-Romantic style and a catalogue of more than 400 works, she spent her life confronting the sexism of her time. An independent and adventurous woman who composed throughout her entire life, she returns to the stage for an evening through the artistry of pianist Karin Lechner.

Text: Peter Gumbel
Direction: Daniela Pal
Piano / Performance: Karin Lechner