Singing Molenbeek

Art isn’t a product, it’s a process

It’s not that musicians doesn’t enjoy playing concerts. But nothing beats the slow-burning, almost meditative experience of regular practice, that daily commitment to music, far away from the spotlight. No wonder. There’s a permanent dialogue with beauty at the core of your existence. Always something to admire, to give purpose and direction to your life. Art isn’t a product, it’s a process. And at some point that process transcends itself. Day after day, layer upon layer, it actually starts shaping you.

The belief in this transformative quality lies at the root of Singing Molenbeek. Drawing gratefully on Maria João Pires’ children’s choirs, we organize high level choir training in the primary schools of Molenbeek, a Brussels suburb famous for all the wrong reasons. We hope that introducing these children to music, with all its demands and rewards, will help them personally and socially. There’s no grand theory, and few certainties. We simply try to put them on track and get the best out of them, the way others did for us. And then let life sort itself out.

More information at the Singing Molenbeek website (in French).

Singing Molenbeek on Dutch television

Children’s choir Singing Molenbeek presents a Brazilian folksong ‘Cirandeiro’ in classical music programme Podium Witteman. With conductor/teacher Zeno Popescu, pianist Julien Libeer and violinist Lorenzo Gatto.

Singing Molenbeek – Concert de Noël

Children’s choir Singing Molenbeek at Flagey, Brussels in 2017. With conductor Zeno Popescu, pianist Julien Libeer, violinist Lorenzo Gatto and the Roby Lakatos Ensemble.

Singing Molenbeek in ‘Jeunes solistes, Grand destins’

Children’s choir Singing Molenbeek as part of the documentary Jeunes solistes, Grand destins about pianist Julien Libeer (in French).