William Beaucardet

Gala Concert – Brussels Cello Festival 2026

Name: Gala Concert – Brussels Cello Festival 2026
Start: 2026-10-31T20:15:00+01:00
Location: Flagey

Sat 31 Oct 20:15

Studio 4

tickets

31 Oct

20:15

tickets

Brussels Cello Festival 2026 À LA CARTE

20% off when you buy at least 3 tickets for different concerts of your choice during the 2026 Brussels Cello Festival. Excluding the concert on 30 October 2026, ‘Strauss: Don Quixote’.

Program

Robert Schumann
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Zart und mit Ausdruck – Lebhaft, leicht – Rasch und mit Feuer
Ettore Pagano, cello – Chloe Jiyeong Mun, piano

Felix Mendelssohn
Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano in D major, Op. 58
Allegro assai vivace – Allegretto scherzando – Adagio – Molto allegro e vivace
Gary Hoffman, cello – Chloe Jiyeong Mun, piano

INTERMISSION

Wilhelm Fitzenhagen
Concert-Walzer for four cellos

Traditional Catalan (arr. for four cellos)
El cant dels ocells (Song of the Birds)

David Popper
Polonaise de concert, Op. 14 (arr. for four cellos)

Astor Piazzolla
La muerte del ángel (arr. for four cellos)

Julius Klengel
Hymnus for twelve cellos, Op. 57

Astor Piazzolla
Fuga y misterio (arr. for twelve cellos)

artist(s)

Yibai Chen, cello
Anne Gastinel, cello
Marie Hallynck, cello
Gary Hoffman, cello
Natania Hoffman, cello
Ettore Pagano, cello
Aleksey Shadrin, cello
Camille Thomas, cello
Han Bin Yoon, cello
Top three laureates of the 2026 Buchet International Cello Competition
Chloe Jiyeong Mun, piano

Growing Together

From intimate chamber music to the thrilling sonority of twelve cellos filling the stage, this gala concert showcases the extraordinary breadth of the cello’s expressive world. The first half brings together two distinct artistic personalities in masterpieces of the Romantic repertoire: fresh from his First Prize triumph at the 2026 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Ettore Pagano opens with Schumann’s poetic Fantasiestücke, followed by the legendary Gary Hoffman in Mendelssohn’s radiant Second Sonata, one of the pinnacles of the cello literature. Both artists are joined by acclaimed pianist Chloe Jiyeong Mun, whose refined musicianship brings equal lyricism, colour and brilliance to these two masterpieces.

After the interval, the scale—and the excitement—grows. Festival artists join forces with the top three laureates of the 2026 Buchet International Cello Competition in ensembles of four and twelve cellos, offering the rare chance to experience internationally acclaimed soloists performing side by side with rising stars as one extraordinary ensemble. From Romantic virtuosity and Catalan folk tradition to the irresistible rhythms of Piazzolla, the evening builds towards a spectacular celebration of the emotions, energy and camaraderie that make the cello world unlike any other.

In the context of