The Space Between the Notes - XXX

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"I am not going to be a star. I am going to be a legend." - Freddie Mercury

Brussels. I had come to visit libraries, the conservatoire and the Ysaÿe foundation. I was tracing a narrative that had its origins here. This thread started with one of the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles’ earliest representatives, Henryk Wieniawski and was followed by his student Ysaÿe, and Ysaÿe’s student, Enescu. At the Conservatoire, Wieniawski had stepped into a distinguished lineage within the Belgian School — previous holders of the post had been the school’s founder, Charles-Auguste de Bériot, then Vieuxtemps and thereafter Wieniawski. As I followed the trail of violinist after violinist I suddenly discovered a name in the lineage that was not connected directly to the Conservatoire – that of a certain “Poldowski”.
Poldowski?

Listen to some glorious pieces by Poldowski here.
Read my latest blog post about Poldowski here or read my recent article in The Strad Magazine here for more about the mysterious composer.

Legends - New Album

“Legends” is a collaborative project with a host of extraordinary artists such as Rachel Harnisch, Kirill Troussov, and Jan Philip Schulze. Brought together by the GAIA Music Festival, the album is released on Orchid Classics in partnership with SRF Kultur. Rare works by iconic composers included Poldowski’s Tango for Violin and Piano, Eugène Ysaÿe’s String Quintet as well as George Enescu’s Sept Chansons de Clément Marot.

> Pre-order or listen to snippets

Party to Ring in the New Year – Global Beats

Allow me to draw your attention to an upcoming concert on the 21 January 2023 at 19:00 at Casino Bern that I’m very excited about. “Global Beats”, features a mix of infectiously fun folk, jazz, and classical music, performed by Yurodny, Jütz, Miklós Lukács, and myself. The concert is part of my series “Cocktail für die Musen” that I curate for Casino Bern. And if the word “Yurodny” sounds familiar to you, that is because they’ve been featured at Buskers Bern several times in recent years as well as at GAIA. Listen here.
Jütz on the other hand features one of Switzerland’s most versatile musicians: Patent Ochsner’s Daniel Woodtli.
Global Beats takes place in the main auditorium and will be partially seated and partially standing room – to allow space for you to DANCE! There will also be a bar in the main auditorium – yes, it’s THAT kind of a night!
Tickets start at CHF 30 (students and AHV/IV card holders). Be sure to book your tickets for what I PROMISE you will be a night to remember.

> Book here

Gwendolyn’s Bridge Club – November Event

Martin Moriarty, Sandro Meszaros

What fun we had on 9^th November! Inspired by my own family heritage, particularly that of my mother, our evening of “Folk Songs” and discussion about cultural appreciation was moving and carried with it a sense of uniting people.

Thank you for your presence at this last gathering of our season 2022. These events are delightful reminders of how much pleasure one gains from music and togetherness, from sharing thoughts, ideas and laughter and reconnecting with old friends. Visit our photo gallery to view some of the evening’s highlights.

Yours,
Gwendolyn