Cantiques

Alongside my time as violin artist-in-residence at Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, this commission was given to me by the institution, which wished to revive the tradition of honoring violinist-composers. Portraits of Eugène Ysaÿe are prominently displayed in several locations throughout the Chapel's corridors and halls, and I felt this shared passion for performing and composing on stage while developing the project, not only with the Chapel staff but also with the musicians.

Having free rein in choosing the instrumentation, I opted to compose for the fullest ensemble the institution could offer, namely a piano quintet accompanying four singers in turn. Tenor, bass-baritone, soprano, and mezzo-soprano will thus take turns performing the magnificent poems of Émile Verhaeren.