The Queen Elisabeth Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious musical competitions. It also represents a huge logistical challenge. On the occasion of this 2023 edition dedicated to the Voice, we looked into the practical issues raised by the participation of the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra in the competition …
It’s now or never
21 May is the moment: that is when mezzo soprano Lotte Verstaen and soprano Margaux de Valensart will join 53 other young singers from around the world, in the first round of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth competition. Since 2015, Belgium’s hopefuls for this edition have been connected to La Monnaie, as members of the MM Academy.
In the very same year his homeland was dragged into the bloodiest conflict in its history, Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko (21) forced his artistic breakthrough. In this interview, he reflects on the often neglected yet stunningly beautiful music of Ukraine, the risks of a concerto for one hand and the presence of hundreds of his compatriots during his upcoming La Monnaie concert.
One year after the Russian invasion, La Monnaie is bringing lasting attention to the war in Ukraine and to its victims through several initiatives.
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra was established 250 years ago. Who better to highlight in celebration of this anniversary than the musicians in the dark? We finish our series of video portraits with Murielle Buis, second violin and one of the warmest personalities in the pit.
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra was established 250 years ago. Who better to highlight in celebration of this anniversary than the artists in the dark? We invited trumpeter Manu Mellaerts to discuss life as it is in the orchestra, from Brussels to Japan, from Strauss to Wagner.
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra was established 250 years ago. Who better to highlight in celebration of this anniversary than the artists in the dark? We invited clarinetist Ricardo Matarredona to discuss life as it is in the orchestra, his favourite solo (spoiler: it's Wagner) and the moment that always gives him ghostbumps in the pit.
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra was established 250 years ago. Who better to highlight in celebration of this anniversary than the artists in the dark? We invited Konzertmeister Saténik Khourdoïan to discuss life as it is in the orchestra, her double role in the pit and her instantaneous obsession with Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss.
The La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra was established 250 years ago. Who better to highlight in celebration of this anniversary than the artists in the orchestra pit? We invited cellist Sébastien Walnier to discuss life as it is in the orchestra, his love for Puccini and why the cello stole his heart.
Ian Bostridge has been singing Schubert’s Winterreise for three decades. He explains why he agreed to approach a work he knows so intimately through the dark mirror of Hans Zender’s ‘composed interpretation’.
Elsa Dreisig
Currently preparing for our concert Salome's Dance, where she will sing excerpts from operas by Richard Strauss and Jules Massenet, soprano Elsa Dreisig talks us about her passion for the character Salome and the emotions a musician experiences before and during a concert...
Marking two hundred years since his birth, this article celebrates Belgian composer César Franck by recounting the highlights of his life and work.
