As a prelude to the European premiere of Eugène Ysaÿe’s Ouverture sur des thèmes d’Atala, KBR welcomes and co-organizes the study day Ysaÿe Rediscovered. The Laboratoire de musicologie (LaM) of ULB and the Belgian Society of Musicology, as well as BOZAR, in whose archives the score was found in early 2023, are joining forces with KBR to invite a series of speakers to question the place of this artist in the Belgian and American musical world yesterday and today, to question the legacy left by this atypical composer-performer.

Programme of the study day

09.00 – Welcome

09.15 – 10.30 – Session 1: Eugène Ysaÿe. From the past to today

Chairs : Marie Cornaz (KBR – Royal Library of Belgium) & Sophie Matkava (BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts)

• Frédéric Lemmers (KBR – Royal Library of Belgium): Welcome speech
• Henri Vanhulst (Société belge de Musicologie, Académie royale de Belgique): Introduction
• Sophie Matkava (BOZAR) & Marie Cornaz (KBR): Ouverture sur des thèmes d’Atala by Eugène Ysaÿe : the story of a discovery and a collaboration
• Apolline Jesupret: Reflections of a young composer

10.30-11.00: Coffee Break

11.00-12.00 – Session 2: Eugène Ysaÿe’s legacy

Chair : Valérie Dufour (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique)

• Richard Sutcliffe (Musical Instruments Museum, Brussels): Creating a Belgian Violin School
• Jane Gottlieb (The Juilliard School, New York): The legacy of Eugène Ysaÿe at Juilliard

12.00-13.15: Lunch

13.15-14.10: Lecture-concert

Ray Iwazumi (The Juilliard School, New York): Made in the U.S.A.: an evolution of Ysaÿe through the lens of his Extase

With Works played by Ray Iwazumi (violin) & Éliane Reyes (piano):

• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931) – Extase et Rêve d’enfant
• Manuel Quiroga (1892-1961)- La Guajira

14.10-14.30: Coffee Break

14.30-16.00 – Session 3: Eugène Ysaÿe composer-performer

Chair : Henri Vanhulst (Société belge de Musicologie, Académie royale de Belgique)

• Xavier Falques (Arts2, Mons, Université catholique de Louvain): The Poèmes by Eugène Ysaÿe
• Joanna Staruch-Smolec (Université Libre de Bruxelles): Exploring Ysaÿe’s Notion of ‘Surcréateur’ in relation to his Violinistic Gestures
• Henri Vanhulst: Closing remarks

Organising Commitee

Marie Cornaz (KBR – Royal Library of Belgium)

Valérie Dufour (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Sophie Matkava (BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts)

Marie Mawet (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Joanna Staruch-Smolec (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Scientific Commitee

Marie Cornaz (KBR – Royal Library of Belgium)

Valérie Dufour (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Henri Vanhulst (Société belge de Musicologie, Académie royale de Belgique)

Practical information

• When? Thursday 15 February, 9am – 4pm
• Where? KBR, De Greef concert room, 4th floor
• Price: Free entrance but inscriptions are mandatory via zhfvp@xoe.or