Baroque Influencers

Summer Event on Thursday 23 June 2022

We are proud to present the city festival ‘Baroque Influencers’ at this summer event in the baroque Jesuit church at the Conscience square in Antwerp. The programme includes speeches and a violin concerto with baroque music by the Antwerp composer Henri-Jacques De Croes, performed by the string orchestra ‘Le Pavillon de Musique’, under the guidance of Ann Cnop.

Programme

7.30 p.m.

Welcome by Stijn Latré, director of UCSIA

Speeches by Prof. Bea Cantillon, President of the Board of Directors of UCSIA, Prof. Herman Van Goethem, Rector of the University of Antwerp, and Mr. Harold Polis, intendant of ‘Baroque Influencers’

8.00 p.m.

Violin concertos of the Antwerp composer Henri-Jacques De Croes by the string orchestra ‘Le Pavillon de Musique’ under the guidance of Ann Cnop

9.30 p.m.

End

Le Pavillon de Musique and Henri-Jacques De Croes

In 2020, the Belgian violinist Ann Cnop, an expert in historical research on early music compositions, founded the ensemble ‘Le Pavillon de Musique’ in Mechelen. It performs forgotten baroque music. Their first CD, released under the Belgian label Et’Cetera, was dedicated to the six violin concertos by Flemish composer Henri-Jacques De Croes. He was born in Antwerp in 1705 and studied music at Saint Andrew’s Church before becoming choir master at Saint James’ Church. In 1729 he achieved international fame as the first violinist in the service of the court of Thurn und Taxis. He moved to Frankfurt and built his career there, while still holding important positions in Brussels, including at the Royal Mint Theatre and Saint Gudula’s Church. His six violin concertos were the first compositions he published, in the town of Brussels. They were deemed lost until Ann Cnop found them in a library in Stockholm.

More information in Dutch...

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