Not only benefit concerts like the biggest of all time Live Aid or the annual actions of Kom op tegen Kanker get a lot of people moving.
Roland Van Campenhout is building something for Eigen Thuis, a center for the integration of people with disabilities. He gave fundraising a creative twist years ago. Eigen Thuis Classics brings together a selection of international musicians and vocalists from Europe each time with a versatile and surprising program. This annual organization is now running smoothly. It is a wonderful experience for family, supporters and lovers of classical music.
-We are at the twelfth edition this year. How did the first edition come about?
R.V.C.: Rather by chance. It was initially not intended to make it a series. We had contact with someone who lived in Eigen Thuis. We rent student rooms. Twelve years ago, two pianists from Poland stayed with us who studied at the Brussels Conservatory. They stayed with us for eight years. At Eigen Thuis, all sorts of activities are organized for the residents, but there is also a price tag attached to it. With subsidies alone, they don't make ends meet. So all sorts of benefits are organized. I am quite active in community life. I was approached with the question whether the musicians staying with us would be willing to give a small concert. We put our heads together… an evening of piano music would be nice. Compositions that sound familiar to the ear and can captivate the audience. They themselves suggested involving a few other musicians. It was such a success that people asked to organize that again. The response was even greater. That's how the ball started rolling. That is, in brief, the origin story of Eigen Thuis Classics. An event in our region that people look forward to.
-The artists perform without payment.
Yes, the only thing we pay for is their transportation costs. In a society where everything revolves around money, that is a wonderfully beautiful gesture from these young musicians and vocalists.
-Where do you recruit them?
I have been to the conservatory several times with the musicians staying at our home to get to know different musicians and their teachers. They found it interesting that their students, especially the foreign students, got a platform. They are not known here and have hardly any social contacts. They can only show their progress during concerts at the conservatory itself. That stays within a closed group. Performing for a different audience, a live audience is a very different and enriching experience. We mainly work with master's students. I have made it a habit to first listen to the musicians and vocalists before I contact them.
-You provide a platform for young musical talent.
Stage experience is important. Learning to deal with stress. Discovering the art of connection.
-Solidarity in symbiosis with art.
Indeed, nothing more beautiful exists! Eigen Thuis is a home for disabled people. They will soon be starting a new building. That construction project has been dragging on for a while due to various circumstances. Now it's becoming concrete, the proceeds of Eigen Thuis Classics 12 will go entirely there.
-Is there a common thread in the program, is there a theme?
No. In the beginning we tried that a couple of times with an edition of opera and early music. We have a very mixed audience and a whole evening of singing is not so much appreciated. We now try to accommodate all preferences and tastes a bit. We have a violin/piano duo (Hrayr Karapetyan and Hasmik Manukyan - their homeland Armenia); a vocal & piano trio (Velichka Minkova, mezzo-soprano from Bulgaria; Lissy Aydoslu, soprano with Belgian/Turkish roots and Katarzyna Hajduk piano from Poland) – then Four Trompets (Clémant Cherencq France, Emma Duret Belgium, Corentin Duveau France and Beatriz Gonzáles Spain).
-Is the choice made for well-known works to appeal to a broad audience or is a more daring and adventurous approach chosen?
Both are included. We once had someone who brought experimental music with all kinds of electronic sounds. That again caused mixed reactions. Part of the audience thought it was great, others were a bit shocked: is that music too?!
-What does the program offer this year?
The duo from Armenia has already released two CDs: one with Belgian composers and the other with Armenian composers. They will bring a mixture of the two. The trio: one singer performs a few well-known arias from operas and the other finds her preference in the art song genre. They bring transparent and melodious melodies. The pianist is truly specialized in accompanying singers. The 4 brass players perform classical works and also some numbers from the brass genre.
-The public has been asked a lot lately: there is the war in Ukraine, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Kom op tegen Kanker… Everyone's budget is limited. Is there still enough interest?
Interest yes. We still have five weeks until the concert. Compared to other years, it's running equally. Of course, admission is free, how much people will donate, because they can give what they want, remains a question mark. Overall, we average between €4 and €5,000. The costs of the concert are covered by sponsors.-By attending the concert and of course making a donation, people contribute to a good cause and Eigen Thuis makes a concrete difference.
Absolutely. It works for us just like with official charities. From € 40 onwards, a tax certificate can be obtained. Then they do have to work via bank transfer. Our approach is that people enjoy themselves and we are happy with every gift: one person might give € 5 and another € 50 or € 100. The sum of the parts makes the whole.-Do you count on a wave of solidarity?
I am positive. Usually it goes well.-You can already look back on a beautiful career. The young people who practically made their debut here. Are there any who have built a nice career after their time here?
Certainly, especially in singing we have had very talented people who are gradually gaining name and fame such as the Dutch soprano Esther Kouwenhoven, she shone in the opera Rigoletto at Schone Kompanie/Muziektheater Transparant. Shoushik Barsumian from the US, she reached the 1st round of the Queen Elisabeth Competition just like Ekatarina Romanova from Russia. She is now a permanent member of the Choir of the Opera of Flanders.The violin and piano duo from Armenia that will now perform plays many concerts at home and abroad and is stacking up prizes from international competitions. You can only add superlatives to that.
Eigen Thuis Classics 12 promises to be another beautiful concert.
WHAT:Eigen Thuis Classics 12
WHERE: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk - Zevensterre - Beigem (Grimbergen)
MUSIC:Violin: Hrayr Karapetyan & Hasmik Manukyan, Singing and piano: soprano Lissy Aydoslu, mezzo-soprano Velichka Minkova, Piano Katarzyna Hajduk, Four Trumpets: Clément Cherencq, Emma Duret, Corentin Duvea, Beatriz González
Organiser: Roland Van Campenhout
WHEN: 21 April 2023