Promising Spring Concert

Georgia, Michael, Leon... three names to remember. Together not yet seventy years old. Together on the stage of the Cultural Center of Oudergem, which opened its doors for ASTA. This is an association that since 2017 has put itself "Au Service de Tous à Auderghem".
This means that by encouraging cultural, social, educational and recreational activities, it strengthens the local community bond, combats loneliness and promotes diversity between cultures and generations. ASTA does this with five permanent staff members and about twenty volunteers. In this picture, the choice of performers fitted perfectly.

Young, younger, youngest

Georgia Koumentakou is fourteen years old. She was born in Brussels. Her mother is Polish, her father Greek. She started violin when she was three and a half and evolved from the Suzuki method to the class of Erik Sluys. She has already compiled an impressive portfolio of awards, teachers and venues. The Canadian Michael Song is twenty-six. From his fifth to his eleventh year he shared his passion for the violin with a motley mix of sporting activities. Then he devoted himself to the cello. With success, because, inspired by Gary Hoffman and Lynn Harrell, he made it from the prestigious Colburn School (Los Angeles) to residency at the Muziekkapel Kon.Elisabeth and admission to the Kon.Elisabeth Cello Competition, which starts on 4 May.

They were accompanied by the Brussels Sinfonietta, which since 2006 has united talented students from the Brussels academies and the Kunsthumaniora to make music together with established masters in orchestral format.
Leon Blekh has been their principal conductor since 2023. Strange, that a master violinist who strung together first prizes, performances at home and abroad and successes and who from 2019 to 2023 was Artist in Residence at the Muziekkapel in Waterloo divides the bow with the baton before his thirtieth birthday. Well understandable for someone who confesses "conducting, since I was young I have cherished that dream".
That explains the enthusiasm, the empathy and the excitement with which Leon guided his orchestra through Elgar's Serenade and a waltz by Tchaikovsky, compositions where the violins could perhaps have sounded a little more expressive and passionate. And where the violas drew attention.

Discoveries

For the rest, the concert was one big heart- and mind-warming discovery. Starting with the 'Concerto per archi' by the ingenious 'godfather of film music', Nino Rota. The Preludio sounded intriguing, the Scherzo grim. We heard that it was good. The orchestra presented news and tradition. And cellist Michael Song also consciously goes for that. His participation in the forthcoming Elisabeth Competition includes three hours of repertoire. Part of this goes to the Concerto of the semi-final. Unlike in previous sessions, this year, in addition to classics such as Joseph Haydn or Mozart, you can also choose between works by Michael Haydn, Heinrich Hofmann or Antonin Kraft. A stroke of luck for Michael Song, who chose Kraft's opus 4, and a windfall for the audience. It is an animated piece where the cello now darts playfully around, then again muses melodiously.

Wieniawski

And then the max had to come! It came in the form of a little angel in hazy white, with wine-red hearts and matching bow, who conjured Henryk Wieniawski's second Violin Concerto from her violin (Patrick Robin) with childlike playfulness and quiet certainty. The young Georgia Koumentakou was clearly proud to be able to already play such masterful work by the great compatriot of her mama, who also played a role in Belgium. The way she did it proves what a young mature violinist she is. For the next Elisabeth Violin Competition, she is not yet eligible given her age. Yet the Concours came very close when Stéphanie Coerten, the familiar voice and presence behind every appearance of every competitor, with much empathy quizzed the artists about their young lives which can be described as 'pas comme les autres'. And who, after a virtuosic 'Flight of the Bumblebee' by Georgia, received enthusiastic applause from a packed hall. Well deserved!