Flute aquarelles

Experience a surprising and musical journey through the great flute repertoire: from German Romanticism to French Impressionism and Czech Modernism. You will discover Undine's fatal kiss, atmospheric natural elements and a post-war world full of contrasts. Leuven flautist Stefanie Van Gool, together with pianist Jakub Jirásek and cellist Fiona Feeley, will guide us through this colourful palette of sounds.

The sonata Undine by Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) is one of the few Romantic compositions for flute and piano. The sonata is based on the tragic story of Ondine, a water nymph from Norse mythology.

Philippe Gaubert (1879-1941) was France's leading flautist for decades. His Trois Aquarelles are unknown gems for flute, cello and piano. The first movement, Par un clair matin, is bright and energetic. The second movement, Soleil d'automne, is more subdued, with a hint of nostalgia for the summer that has passed. The third movement, Sérénade, has Iberian influences with a dancing and joyful character.

Bohuslav Martinů composed his Sonata for Flute and Piano in Cape Cod, USA, where he stayed after fleeing occupied France in 1945. This short sonata ends with a lively Allegro on a theme derived from the song of the whippoorwill, a nightjar Martinů heard during his stay in Cape Cod.

Carl Reinecke, Sonata 'Undine' for piano and flute, op. 167
Philippe Gaubert, Trois Aquarelles for flute, piano and violoncello
Bohuslav Martinů, Sonata for flute and piano

More info

with Stefanie Van Gool (flute), Jakub Jirásek (piano) and Fiona Feeley (cello) photo Adéla Bezouškova

24-year-old Stefanie Van Gool began her flute studies with Toon Fret at the Leuven Conservatory and perfected her skills at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège and the Royal Brussels Conservatory.

Czech pianist Jakub Jirásek (°1994) studied at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague and has lived in Belgium since 2018, where he graduated from the Royal Brussels Conservatory.

Fiona Feeley is a versatile musician of Russian-North American descent. She began her higher studies at the Royal Conservatory in 2019 and continues her training at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon.