1999: Musician couple Leonid Kerbel and Hagid Hassid-Kerbel, who love each other dearly, founded the Musica Mundi Festival, which has taken place annually ever since at Lake Genval, just across the language border in French-speaking Brabant.
The aim was to bring together great world-renowned names with young talented musicians from around the world who could take courses during the festival and perform. That goal has been achieved and more, the Musica Mundi School in Waterloo, which became internationally renowned in a short time, was born from it, as it were.
Meanwhile, we are now in July 2025, and the festival is enjoying a very well-attended edition. More than 60 young musicians between 10 and 19 years old from around the world are present to take lessons with artists in residence. The school is, as it were, overcrowded: both the artists in residence, the invited performing musicians, many of the permanent students and the participants in the masterclasses stay at the school. The cook has her hands full: breakfast, lunch, dinner. And that's not even mentioning the laundry of the many sheets and more.
A large family requires many household tasks, and anyone who thinks this is not a family would be mistaken. Whether it's all those mentioned and the school staff, the festival workers, the sponsors and donors who help the school survive financially, the audience and anyone else forgotten here: it is a family. The atmosphere is completely different from any concert hall, no matter how large or small, everything has something homely about it. Is it because of the many young people walking through the corridors? Is it something that emanates from the enterprising couple Kerbel? A special energy, camaraderie, purpose, quality, recognition and striving for the very best, the very highest without pretense forms a whole that makes both the festival and the school so attractive.
The musicians are cheered as they take the stage by the participating young people. Well, that certainly brings a broad smile to the faces of the performing musicians and it also causes them to play differently than usual, somewhat more freely thanks to the spontaneity that overwhelms them from all these young future musicians. For this reason alone you should attend the festival at least once, to experience the atmosphere, the conviviality, the fatherly and motherly conduct of the 'foster parents' Leonid and Hagid who are strict where necessary, but fair. With bell in hand, Mrs. Kerbel walks through the corridors at the end of the break: woe to those not in the hall on time…
Klassiek Centraal attended, for the first time (well, July is a holiday month after all), part of the festival and was present, among other things, at the concert with the Ebène string quartet and the recital by violinist Maxim Vengerov and pianist Polina Osetinskaya. You can read here and here more about these two concerts. We were also able to attend the closing gala concert, featuring violinist Esther Yoo (winner KEW violin 2012) as soloist.
Many participants share the stage with both permanent students of the school and with the artists in residence, including alumni of the Musica Mundi School. It is quite unique that this mix of seasoned professionals, young graduate musicians and students share the stage together as soloists, in small ensembles and orchestra. From the first to the last concert you hear only high quality. Close your eyes and you don't know that sometimes children of 10, 11 years old are on stage.
If you want to relive the Musica Mundi Festival 2025, find it on the YouTube channel of the Musica Mundi School (link below this article). Fancy spending your July vacation differently next year or in years to come? You already know our tip…