Leuven Bells - Groot Begijnhof: concert by Luc Rombouts

Talk concert by Luc Rombouts (carillon) and prof. dr. Maarten Larmuseau (geneticist and genealogist KU Leuven) For this concert, Luc Rombouts has arranged music by Bach for carillon - not only by the famous Johann Sebastian, but also by his great-uncles, second cousins, sons, and grandson who all bore the name Bach. They wrote fantastic music, which has long been in the shadow of the radiant genius of Johann Sebastian. In total, from the 16th to the 19th century, more than fifty members of the Bach family were active as professional musicians, mainly in Thuringia. So there must have been something like a ‘Bach gene’. Because of this special story, the well-known geneticist and genealogist Maarten Larmuseau will share some special findings with the audience as an alternation with the music. Among other things, he will answer the questions of to what extent musical talent is hereditary, what the ratio is between nature and nurture in musical performance, and why only the Bachs in the male line gained fame as composers. He also answers the question of whether cantor Jacob Bach, whose tombstone you can see in the Leuvense Sint-Pieterskerk, is or is not a leaf of the famous Bach tree. This concert takes place with the cooperation of LIGAS. LIGAS is an interdisciplinary institute at the KU Leuven that researches and guides the social impact of human genetics. We unite experts from biomedical sciences, sociology, law, ethics, and other fields to look together at how genetic technologies affect people and society. Communication to the general public also fits into this framework, for example through a contribution to musical activities such as this concert. A cozy listening area will be set up in the herb garden of the Groot Begijnhof (follow the arrows).