Humble Memories - A nostalgic suite for straight-strung piano:
World première at BOZAR Brussels on 7 May 2018. Music by Dimitri Arnauts.


Kittens sleeping and playing under the stove, fun amongst friends along the way to school, birds closing the day with their subtle songs, a proud hen crossing the lawn with her chicks following, heroic dreams of knights and battles, the boring mandatory naps at school, …

This suite of small and contrasted pieces of four-hands piano music written by composer Dimitri Arnauts, Humble Memories, is simply a set of musically translated nostalgic reminiscences of the composer's childhood and adolescence years. In fact, who has not in his memory remembrances of similar moments and atmospheres?

Humble Memories will be performed at BOZAR Brussels, Belgium, on 7 May 2018 by upcoming young talents Emmy Wils and Tim Mulleman on the new revolutionary straight-strung concert grand built by Chris Maene. Poetic interludes will be recited by Aurélien Dony.

In an age where pianos are commonly standardized, Chris Maene launched a bold new generation of grand pianos that offer an innovative and refreshing alternative. It combines the authentic sound, clear bass and transparent registers inherent to straight-strung instruments; with the touch, stability and power of contemporary pianos. For the first time in decades musicians and music lovers can discover and enjoy a genuinely new world of sound !


ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Dimitri Arnauts (°1973) is a composer who has dedicated himself to uplift and delight hearts, souls and minds through the reaffirmed beauty of melody, harmony, polyphony and counterpoint, and through the innumerable colors of instruments and human voices. From 2004 on he wrote about 600 works of various sizes and settings, being mainly cantatas, oratorios, passions, concerti, psalms and symphonic poems. More info on www.dimitriarnauts.com



ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Tim Mulleman (°1993, Belgium) started playing the piano at the age of 11 under the guidance of conductor Hans Casteleyn. After finishing his studies classical piano, jazz and accompaniment with highest distinctions at the provincial academy, he started studying at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Jan Michiels and later in Vienna at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien with Christiane Karajeva. Having obtained his Bachelor's degree with great distinction, his final Master's recital and research thesis – specialising in transcription and improvisation – even gave him a greatest distinction.

He performed solo and in piano duo with Hiu-Man Chan at The Festival of Flanders 2013, participated in the international Euroclassical project 2014 and 2015, performed on the highly acclaimed Bartók Symposium of the Royal Library of Brussels in 2014, the Rodrigo Symposium 2015, the Gross Festival 2015, etc
.
Furthermore, he had lessons/masterclasses with Herbert Schuch, Neal Peres da Costa, Philippe Graffin, Amy Linn, Paul Dombrecht, Piet Kuijken, Jan Vermeulen, Irene Russo, Augustin Léon Ara, Thomas Dieltjens, Eric Robberecht, Alan Weiss, etc.


Emmy Wils (°1994), showed an early interest for music and developed since into a passionate music student aged 23. When she was nine, she received her first piano lessons from Johan Bossers at de Music Academy of the City of Tongeren. In 2012, she started her studies at the Brussels Conservatory in the classes of Piet Kuijken and Hans Ryckelynck, and this year she will accomplish her in the class of Boyan Vodenitcharov. During her student years she also had the privilege to study at the prestigious Hochschule für Musik Frans Liszt in Weimar, Germany, in the class of Peter Waas.

Throughout the years she had the opportunity to follow masterclasses with, amongst others, Pavel Eliashevic, Wolfgang Manz, Massimiliano Mainolfi, Rasa Biveiniene Yakutite, Christian Wilm Müller, Lukas Vondraçek,… and at age 16 she debuted as a soloist in front of an orchestra.

Emmy already won a large number of distinctions and prizes at competitions such as the Cantabile-concourse, Belfius Classics, Stephan de Jonghe-concourse, Concours de piano de Liège, Concours André Charlier, VriendenCultuurprijs Tilburg, Triomphe de l'Art, ...


ABOUT THE RECITER
Aurélien Dony (°1993, Belgium) was born on April 16, 1993, in Dinant. Passionate about literature, he publishes between his 18 and 24 years four collections of poetry and co-wrote a novel with his friend Claude Raucy.

After graduating as a French teacher, Aurélien entered the Royal Conservatory of Brussels where he studies drama.

His passion for poetry will lead him to enthusiasm for declamation. He works on poets of all time and, with this teaching, frequently gives readings to the Circle of Travelers (Brussels), to the House of Poetry of Namur or during various recitals.
He also lends his voice to contemporary poets such as Jean Loubry, Charline Lambert, Karel Logist ...

In addition, Aurélien gave numerous performances as singer of the group Géminides (putting to music poetic texts of Molière, Van Gogh, Camus ...)

Interested? See you at BOZAR on 7 May 2018 !