Supernova

BIOGRAphies

Desguin Kwartet

The Desguin Kwartet is a young, ambitious quartet from Belgium known for its versatility and an often interdisciplinary approach to its work. ‘Desguin’ refers to the ‘Desguinlei’ in Antwerp, where the members of the quartet met at conservatory. The quartet was selected by the Orpheus Institute for chamber music in Ghent and is a member of the prestigious Pro Quartet Academy in Paris. They have played live on radio stations such as Klara and Musiq’3, performed in almost every Belgian concert hall and shared stages with such renowned artists as Werner Van Mechelen, the Czech Zemlinsky Quartet, pianist Florestan Bataillie and actors Stefaan Degand, Ariane Van Vliet and Vic De Wachter. As a Belgian quartet, they work regularly with contemporary Belgian composers and have performed works by Luc Van Hove, Alain Craens, Steven Prengels and Mathias Coppens, who dedicated a piece to them. In 2018 they became Artist-in-Residence at vzw SWUK Vlaanderen, while in 2020 they won the Supernova Classics competition, where they also took the audience prize.

Trio Aries

Three young Belgian musicians, violinist Alice Van Leuven, cellist Paul Heyman and pianist Wouter Valvekens founded Trio Aries, out of their passion for chamber music and more specifically for the repertoire written for piano trio. They each received broad training as soloists and as chamber musicians in three world-renowned institutes: Alice at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, Paul at the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich and Wouter at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The trio has been active since the 18/19 season and has been programmed to give recitals at the BxlSurScène festival, the Espace Garage concert series in Ottignies, the Young Talent festival in Knokke, the Midi-Minimes festival in Brussels, the Zomer van Sint-Pieter Summer festival in Leuven, OdeGand in Ghent, Klara in de Singel in Antwerp, Klassiek in de Abdij in Jette and many more (cf. agenda). In August 2020, they were invited by Guy Danel for the Festival en Poitou in France were they performed Brahms' piano quartet op. 25 with Josef Kluson, member of the Prazak Quartet.