The Classic Academy 2023 was concluded on Sunday 18 June, as part of the Fête de la musique, with a top concert in the Salle Philharmonique in Liège. Four highly talented young musicians, who were selected in February from the best students of the conservatories of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Brussels, Liège, Bergen and the IMEP in Namen), had the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège under the direction of young conductor Louis Toro Araya: a way for the OPRL to offer a springboard to professional practice. The concert was presented by Caroline Veyt (RTBF).
Soprano Maria-Valentina Billeci (24, Arts² Mons), harpist Juliette Gauthier (21, IMEP - Namen), euphonist Philippe Schiltz (24, Conservatoire Royal de Liège) and violist Sarah Bayens (23, Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles) performed a highly varied concert with works by Ravel, Ginastera, Horowitz and Bartók.
The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège Prize and the Audience Prize both went to Juliette Gauthier, who performed two movements of the Harpconcert by Ginastera. She has been invited to perform as a soloist with the orchestra at the next Fête de la Musique on 23 June 2024. Juliette Gauthier, a student of Sophie Hallynck, has already won First Prizes at the Concours de Harpe et Île-de-France (2018), the Amigdala Concours (Italy, 2021), the Collegium21 Concours (Paris, 2021) and the Pratté Concours (Sweden, 2022).
Philippe Schiltz, who came second in the public vote, has been invited by the OPRL and the HOP association to perform in the Salle Philharmonique de Liège for a recital in the "Musique à midi" series on Wednesday 15 November.
The other candidates, Maria-Valentina Billeci and Sarah Bayens, received warm applause from a large and enthusiastic audience.
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© OPRL - From left to right: Luis Toro Araya, Daniel Weissmann, Sarah Bayens, Maria-Valentina Billeci, Juliette Gauthier, Philippe Schiltz and Caroline Veyt.[/caption]