Echoes from the interwar period

The Udana Quintet brings together five leading Belgian musicians with a passion for chamber music. Together with pianist Sarah Bottiau, they bring the Roaring Twenties back to life. Winds of change were blowing through Europe, jazz was sweeping in from America, and Paris became the beating heart of modernism. It was an era of upheaval and renewal. Parisian composers’ group Les Six rejected Romantic pathos and Impressionist aesthetics. They aimed for clarity, rhythm and direct musical expressiveness. One of them was Francis Poulenc. His sparkling style becomes irresistible in the energetic Sextuor for piano and wind instruments. Playful and sharp, yet with an underlying lyricism, this work is a fitting tribute to the Parisian spirit of the Roaring Twenties. That French refinement also resonated in Belgium. Joseph Jongen opens the concert with his colourful Rhapsody. Late Romantic opulence blends with Impressionist nuance to create a rich sonic palette for wind quintet and piano. In his Suite, Albert Huybrechts then reveals a more intense, modern voice. Sharp rhythms, striking contrasts and a profound expressiveness place him at the interface of French elegance and European modernism. A musical panorama of the interwar period ranging from the impressionistic radiance of Programme Joseph Jongen to the bold modernity of Albert Huybrechts and the sparkling irony of Francis Poulenc brings together tradition and innovation in a rich soundscape. Programme Joseph Jongen, Rhapsody, op. 70 Albert Huybrechts, Suite for wind instruments and piano Francis Poulenc, Sextet, FP 100 Bio Sarah Bottiau is a Belgian pianist with a thriving international career and a strong reputation as both a soloist and a chamber musician. She has performed in Bruges, Brussels, Paris, Chicago and Zurich, and has won prizes at competitions including the Fanny Mendelssohn Competition and Concours of piano of Liège. The Udana Quintet is a young and energetic Flemish wind quintet, founded in 2022 by five musician friends from various Belgian conservatoires. They got to know each other through Youth Orchestra Flanders, where their enjoyment of playing together developed into a permanent chamber music ensemble. ---------------------->>> This concert is part of veelbeLEUVENd jong klassiek A breath of fresh air is blowing through the classical music scene in Leuven. At veelbeLEUVENd, young and ambitious musicians curate their own concert series, providing performance opportunities for emerging talents.