Classical Central, how it started…
Den Brabo was an Antwerp sociocultural website that started back in 1999 and had more visitors for years than the official website of the city of Antwerp. Behind Den Brabo was one man: my oldest brother Koen. Could I write some reviews about classical concerts in Antwerp for him? Well, why not? I did it for about 20 years for an Antwerp weekly newspaper, so...
After three (3) texts he said: "Say, why don't you start a website yourself? You know this stuff too well and it's the time, a magazine won't work anymore". That was in 2003. But my then busy job and my still disbelief in 'the internet' meant that I didn't take the initiative, even though he regularly asked when I would finally start with that website, emphasizing: "I'll put everything online and build and maintain that website, you just have to go to the concerts, type the texts in a word document and email them to me. You can do that, right?". Until a November evening in 2005 when a concert opera took place in the Koningin Elisabethzaal. After the performance, a talented all-knowing journalist from the Gazet Van Antwerpen said: "Allei, da was nen ouwperra zongder toniejl? Dor schraajve kik ni ouwver!" (That was an opera without scenery, I'm not writing about that!)
"Koen, you're right! I MUST start!"
The reception table where we stood after that opera-without-scenery-that-you're-therefore-not-supposed-to-write-about, nearly broke in two after I, more than angry, shouted a rougher Flemish expletive quite loudly, and gave a serious punch on the table. The GVA and the Vlaamse Opera together with my late brother – especially him – were the direct impetus for what is now Classical Central.
Deciding to start something, just like that, without resources is one, two is: what name does the child get? It took until an afternoon at the end of July 2006. All possible and impossible names passed in review. The only ones that sounded good were already taken by other magazines, ensembles and so on. Until somewhere at the end of July 2006 in the VRT radio news at 1 o'clock there was an item about the central station of Antwerp. THAT was it! THAT had to be it, linking classical and central together which makes clear that we place the classical centrally. But how though? I'm in the car at that moment and talk to myself: "the classical central - no, central classical – no, classical and central, no – central and classical then? no – and if I now take classical central, there's rhythm in it, like with Coca Cola?"…
I park the car, I repeat: classical central. I write it on a crumpled piece of paper and look at it. That's a brand name though? And everyone understands it. Repeat once more: classical central. I say it 50 times or so. In slight euphoria I come home, sit down at the laptop, send our Koen an email: "I've got it! The name is Classical Central and here is the list with the sections that need to be in it".
August 1, 2006: Classical Central goes online!
Goodness, our Koen only needed three days to build a website in the meanwhile barely anyone knew program frontpage. Back then it was still possible, in very low resolution to build a website, fairly primitive, not very clean logo, but still with content. Goal? Reach 3,000 readers. For a magazine that's already a lot and difficult to achieve. When in a previous life I had the 3-monthly newsletter of the Koninklijke Beiaardschool in my hands, we had 350 subscriptions and that was quite a feat to achieve. You see how experienced I was in organizing publications: not at all. After three days our Koen calls: "Want to know something? We already had 350 visitors!" … I've lost my mind. Where did they come from for something totally unknown? How could they have found it already? Six weeks later, after a successful campaign to save the dilapidating buildings of the Brussels Koninklijk Conservatorium – some professor or student from the UGent had found us and taken over the petition with a link to Classical Central, gave a push to KC and the petition: we collected 2,000 signatures in a very short time. By the end of September 2006 we had already welcomed 3,500 individual visitors. Yes, then I had to continue. Who would think such a thing? No one, and to say that today Classical Central gets up to 260,000 hits a month via Google. Yes, we are the largest classical music website in Dutch and far from sufficient, there can be so much more. If you feel called while reading this, apply and email to info@klassiek-centraal.be to strengthen our team and expand in Flanders, the Netherlands and and and ...
Luc Brewaeys as first external contributor
December 2008: an email from Luc Brewaeys, lots of praise for the initiative that after just under 2.5 years was already gaining a name, but still, someone like him who contacted us and not only full of praise, but offered his cooperation? A genius, a guy who didn't mince words, his heart was on his tongue, who only told the truth. Yes, I was floating. We talked for two hours. Oh well, becoming a real contributor, that only lasted very briefly, Luc became ill. He and my brother Koen suffered from the same ailments and probably speak to each other now and then somewhere up there…
January 2009, a few weeks later, Lucrèce Maeckelbergh and Milo Derdeyn join us. Lucrèce still writes for us, as does Vivane Redant who joined our ranks in September 2009. She got to know KC at the very first Golden Labels Awards.
The Golden Labels of Classical Central
Flanders had an enormous need for a quality label. How could a heartland where classical music had its origins, a country with so much quality at home, not have a quality label? It had to come and it would immediately aim as high as possible, no provincial modesty. No, a label of international top level. That's what it became and that must come back.
First Golden Labels Awards, June 5, 2009 under the motto: Three years Classical Central
The province of Antwerp made available to us, thanks to the mediation and efforts of director Koen De Vlieger, the Kasteel d'Ursel for the celebration of our three-year existence and the presentation of our first Golden Labels. The name came from Milo for which extra thanks! The piano was made available to us, some very good musicians listened in during the afternoon and 'my Gypsy girls' catered the reception like true professionals. 85 attendees from the sector: this was a success and I would like to organize it annually. We presented Golden Labels ten times, it was a successful formula on all fronts until covid19 stuck spokes in the wheels for us and the whole world.
Meanwhile, authors joined in, both permanent and freelance contributors, and some dropped out for various reasons. For 10 years there was the vzw Klassiek Centraal with Erik Vercauteren as its first chairman. But then covid19 struck again, serious health problems of my own, some contributors dropping out… Klassiek Centraal was nearly history. But we hadn't reckoned with the webmaster. Peter Kuipers, who had been a neighbor and mate of my by then deceased oldest brother for a number of years, took the reins. He had been managing the website for some time, which kept getting better and more beautiful, technically a masterpiece. He wasn't about to let that disappear. He and Helena Gaudeus mustered all the necessary courage and energy together and Klassiek Centraal lived on. Nobody from the outside world knew about it, until now because I'm telling you.
Klassiek Centraal Reborn
2022, no longer a vzw, fewer staff members, not even a board anymore, but oh yes, plenty of texts on a voluntary basis. The core team remained loyal and delivered the necessary quality texts for the serious reference that Klassiek Centraal had become. Young contributors found jobs in the sector, also thanks to the fact that they could write for us. Invitations from abroad, which had stopped during covid19, started coming in again. New staff members signed up. My health improved greatly – long live science! – I've never felt healthier, I retired and yes, the phone wouldn't stop ringing: "We still want you to…" Yeah yeah…
How to thank whom?
20 years, that's no small matter. How should I thank whom? Heartfelt thanks go out to everyone (!) who has ever committed themselves to Klassiek Centraal. Not one of them could have been spared at the time. True, there were sometimes tensions with this person or that, but ultimately all those contributors just did it anyway, invested a lot of time in something, gave a lot of energy for something that didn't make them better off financially. KC was and still is a volunteer initiative, without a noteworthy budget, a few hundred euros at most, that's all. Therefore, to everyone from then and now and in Mechelen: "Mannekes, nen dikke mercie!"