MANNEKEN TOOTS

09:00 > 16:00
€ Free
@ Crossroads Rue de l’Etuve / Rue du Chêne, 1000 Brussels

On the occasion of the International Jazz Day, the Manneken-Pis will be dressed up as Toots Thielemans, the greatest Belgian harmonica player. Born in the Marolles, Brussels native Toots Thielemans (1922-2016) has played alongside some of the world’s greatest jazz artists.

STIB LOVES JAZZ

PLAYLIST

All day long
Special selection “Belgian musicians”. Broadcast on the entire network.

VIDEO PROJECTION

Broadcast all day long
€ Free
@ Métro Botanique

Selection of images from the archives of Sonuma.

LIVE SOUNDTRACK

18:00 > 19:00
€ Free
@ Espace Qartier
Métro Bourse-Grand-Place

Semi-improvised music, played live on the images of Charles Dekeukeleire’s films Combat de boxe (1927, duration 7min38sec) and Impatience (1928, duration 36min31sec), by the duo Benoît Leseure (violin and electronics) and Fabien Leseure (keyboard and electronics).

LIVE JAZZ AT THE MUSEUM

10:30 > 16:30 € Free
Reservation recommended
@ Les Lundis d’Hortense
info@leslundisdhortense.be | + 32 2 219 58 51

Five museums in Brussels open their doors to jazz by playing original duos in the exceptional setting of their halls. The opportunity to discover the city and its museums in a musical way!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

International Jazz Day In Brussels! #internationaljazzday #volunteering #superbénévoles #herbcells #herbcellsgraphikz #JazzDayBelgium

A post shared by Les Lundis d’Hortense (@leslundisdhortense) on Apr 30, 2018 at 2:52am PDT

PROGRAM

10:30 > 11:15   JEAN-PAUL ESTIÉVENART / CEZARIUSZ GADZINA

Duo trumpet / saxophone
@ experience.brussels – Salle des Parapluies
Rue Royale 2-4, 1000 Brussels

Jean-Paul Estiévenart is a hard working, creative and inventive musical spirit. He is the most popular trumpet player of the Belgian jazz scene. In his ten-year career, he has had the opportunity to play with great names such as Enrico Pieranuzzi, Avishai Cohen, Logan Richardson, Noel Gallagher, Perico Sambeat, and Maria Schneider.. Estiévenart appears on more than 40 albums and has recorded two albums as a leader.

Polish saxophonist Cezariusz Gadzina studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven (Belgium) and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Grand Prize of the International Jazz Competition of Sorgues in France. Founder of the European Saxophone Ensemble (2008) and the Belgian Saxophone Ensemble (2012), Gadzina has performed in festivals and venues around the world.

12:00 > 12:45    JEAN-LOUIS RASSINFOSSE / JEANFRANÇOIS PRINS

Duo double bass / guitar
@ Museum of the National Bank of Belgium – Atrium
Rue Montagne aux Herbes potagères 57, 1000 Brussels

Bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse is a prominent figure in the Belgian jazz scene. He has toured the world with some of the greatest jazz musicians such as Philly Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Claudio Roditi, Richard Galliano, Michel Pettrucciani, Chet Baker, Steve Houben, Toots Thielemans, Eric Legnini « The Soul of Poets », and José Van Dam among others. His home-grown sound and singing upright bass resonates on more than a hundred albums. Unstoppable, he never ceases to surprise the listener!

Guitarist, composer, arranger and producer Jeanfrançois Prins has spent most of his career between New York City and Berlin, until recently moving back to his roots: Brussels. Collaborating with many international jazz giants, he performed and recorded all over Europe, the U.S.A., Latin America and Asia. A melodic story-teller, he enjoys risk-taking improvisation and organic interaction. Jeanfrançois has recorded 7 CDs as a leader, one can hear him on more than 50 other CDs as a guest soloist.

13:30 > 14:15    EVE BEUVENS / FRANÇOIS VAIANA

Duo piano / vocal
@ Jewish Museum of Belgium
Rue des Minimes 21, 1000 Brussels

Pianist Eve Beuvens studied philosophy before beginning to study piano with Nathalie Loriers at the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel. Beuvens recorded her first quartet album in 2009. An ambitious and inspired composer, she has taken part in projects of very different styles, turning her into a determined and convincing musician. Solo projects, collaborations, or working as a bandleader of a septet under her own name, nothing can stop Eve Beuvens.

Before falling in love with singing, François Vaiana started music by playing bass and percussion. A former student of David Linx’s at the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel, he also studied music at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York. Being an eclectic musician he founded the « Brussels Vocal Project » and « Blue Monday People ». He also works as a lyricist for Loïs Levan and Tom Bourgeois’ projects.

15:00 > 15:45   PIERRE DE SURGÈRES / TOM BOURGEOIS

Duo keys / saxophone
@ BELvue museum – Pavillon Borgendael
Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels

Pianist Pierre de Surgères studied journalism and philosophy before beginning piano lessons with Diederik Wissels, Nathalie Loriers, and Kris Defoort at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. His stay in New York in 2008 allowed him to further enrich and deepen his style of playing. Throughout his career, he has participated in several contemporary jazz projects and has written soundtrack music for movies. He is now devoted to his trio project.

Originally from Lyon, France, Tom Bourgeois graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 2015. He studied jazz saxophone, jazz composition and arranging, allowing him to develop a language between modern jazz and contemporary music. Interested by the blending of artistic disciplines, Tom plays and writes for projects with very different styles (jazz, chanson, experimental music, big band) and regularly writes music for long-feature movies, theater plays, and his own projects.

16:30 > 17:15      ALAIN PIERRE / SYLVAIN DEBAISIEUX

Duo guitar / saxophone
@ Belgian Museum of Freemasonry
Rue de Laeken 73 – 75, 1000 Brussels

For more than ten years, guitarist Alain Pierre has been playing on a 12-string guitar to explore the techniques of “classical guitar”. Founder of the record label “Spinach Pie Records”, he has performed in several groups with varying instrumentation in Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Nigeria, Benin, Congo, India, and Vietnam among others. Alain Pierre is currently teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Conservatory of Huy.

In constant search of new sounds and new means of expression on his instrument, saxophonist Sylvain Debaisieux is a graduate of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel and the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. Sound, flow, energy and rhythm are at the core of his playing. Sylvain Debaisieux is currently developing his art and musical experimentation in various projects.

Check out the rest of the program and more information:

Join Jazz Day Belgium
#JazzDayBelgium
#JazzDayBXL

The post UNESCO International Jazz Day in Belgium: 30th of April appeared first on Brussels Express.

Brussels’ Grand Place was added to the list in 1998 among other extraordinary Brussels sites and landmarks which have also earned their place on the prestigious list.

Grand Place

Around a cobbled rectangular market square, La Grand-Place in Brussels, the earliest written reference to which dates back to the 12th century, features buildings emblematic of municipal and ducal powers, and the old houses of corporations. An architectural jewel, it stands as an exceptional and highly successful example of an eclectic blending of architectural and artistic styles of Western culture, which illustrates the vitality of this important political and commercial center.

Over the centuries, the Place has retained its shape, coherence and the essentially Gothic and Baroque attributes which characterize it. It is still a reflection of the Lower Market as reconstructed in the late 17th century and testifies to the willingness of the authorities to preserve the harmony of the square during the rapid rebuilding campaign that followed the terrible bombardment of 1695 so that it could regain its former aspect and splendor.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Good evening from the most beautiful place in Brussels #goodevening #bonsoir #selamatmalam #grandplace #longexposure #huawei #huaweip20pro #huaweiambassador #huaweiphotography #spring  #brussels #bruxelles #belgia #belgium #belgique #welovebrussels #visitbrussels #like #summer #musimpanas #été #summer2018*#likeforlike #like4like #pictoftheday #pictures #topbrusselsphoto #topbelgiumphoto #cityrenaissance #huaweinextimage

A post shared by Aris Setya (@aris.setya) on Oct 1, 2018 at 10:35am PDT

The authenticity of the Grand-Place, the oldest references to which date back to the 12th century, is undeniable. Evolving over the centuries and rebuilt after the bombardment of 1695, the Grand-Place has retained its configuration over the last three centuries, virtually unchanged.

The authenticity of the City Hall, which preserves 18th-century Gothic components that are intact and highly visible, is established both in terms of materials, style and function. Most of the individual buildings around the square have retained their authenticity to a similar degree, although the interiors of some have been radically altered. Today the Grand-Place remains the faithful reflection of the square destroyed by the French artillery and testifies to the symbolic intentions of the power and pride of the Brussels bourgeois who chose to restore their city to its former glory rather than rebuild in a contemporary style, a trend commonly observed elsewhere.

Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta

The four major town houses designed by the architect Victor Horta, one of the earliest initiators of Art Nouveau, – Hôtel Tassel (1893), Hôtel Solvay (1894), Hôtel van Eetvelde (1895), and Maison & Atelier Horta – are some of the most remarkable pioneering works of architecture of the end of the 19th century. The stylistic revolution represented by these works is characterised by their open plan, the diffusion of light, and the brilliant joining of the curved lines of decoration with the structure of the building.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

⭐️ The harmony of the stained glass and the painting can make us travel in a universe that is not outside but in the heart of Hotel Solvay ⭐️ • • • #HotelSolvay #FamilySolvay #ArmandSolvay #HostHouse #NewArt #ArtNouveau #Horta #VictorHorta #Art #Unesco #WorldHeritage #BeautifulPlace #Unsual #Oustanding #Entry #224 #PrestigiousPlace #Architecture #Unique #AvenueLouise #Brussels #Belgium

A post shared by Hotel Solvay (@hotelsolvay) on Sep 20, 2018 at 6:09am PDT

These four houses, that bear testimony to the immense talent of this Belgian architect, achieve a remarkable sense of unity with meticulous attention to the smallest detail of the building, from the door handle or bell to the least piece of furniture. The houses revived the tradition of the Bourgeois houses and private mansions of the 19th century, combining residential and representational functions which require a subtle organization of spaces and differentiated circulation.

In addition to their outstanding architectural quality, the four town houses in question are well preserved and retain a high degree of authenticity due to the prodigious care of their owners, long convinced of the exceptional interest of their homes. Despite the changes made to the Hotel Tassel, the authenticity of the design, materials and their implementation remains high, while the authenticity of their environment remains entire.

Stoclet House

The Stoclet House is an outstanding testimony to the creative genius of the Wiener Werkstätte. It was designed and built in Brussels from 1905 to 1911 by one of the founders of the movement, the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann, of whose work it is the masterpiece. The Vienna Secession movement bears witness to a profound conceptual and stylistic renewal of Art Nouveau. Ever since its creation the Stoclet House has been and remains one of the most consummate and emblematic realizations of this artistic movement, characterizing the aesthetic research and renewal of architecture and decoration in the west at the start of the 20th century.

The Stoclet House decoration was the work of a very large number of artists from the Wiener Werkstätte, including Koloman Moser, Gustav Klimt, Frantz Metzner, Richard Luksch, and Michael Powolny. They worked under the guidance of Hoffmann to achieve a Gesamtkunstwerk (‘total work of art’), which is expressed simultaneously in every dimension – interior and exterior architecture, decoration, furniture, functional objects, and the gardens and their flower beds.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

ベルギー妄想旅行10日目、世界遺産のストックレー邸を上空から。妄想旅行は視点をすぐに変えられるのが楽しい。すばらしいお庭、いつか本当に行ってみたい。(*^^*) https://goo.gl/maps/ETiejJs4Nep ———- Google Street View link is @kagua_biz 実際に歩けるGoogleストリートビューのリンクは、@kagua_biz ———- [Month’s World Heritage] Belgium: Stoclet House ベルギー：ストックレー邸 Belgique: Palais Stoclet Belgien: Palais Stoclet Belgio: Stoclet Casa Bélgica: Palacio Stoclet Bélgica: Stoclet Casa Belgia: Stoclet Rumah Бельгия: Stoclet House เบลเยียม: Stoclet บ้าน بلجيكا: Stoclet البيت 比利时：斯托克莱楼 벨기에 : Stoclet 하우스 ———- #googlestreetview #googlemaps #worldheritage #lovetravel #instablogs #discoverearth #unesco #landscapephotography #amazing_shots #Patrimoinemondial #มรดกโลก #世界遗产 #worldheritagesites #세계유산 #patrimoniomundial #warisandunia #patrimonio #мировоенаследие #Welterbe #patrimoinemondial #الترا العالمي #Unite4Heritage #traveldiary #loveearth #worldheritagesite #Belgium #Brussels #modernistarchitecture #3D #stoclethouse

A post shared by @ kagua_biz on Nov 28, 2017 at 10:03pm PST

It bears witness to a monument of outstanding aesthetic quality and richness, intended as an ideal expression of the arts. A veritable icon of the birth of modernism and its quest for values, its state of preservation and conservation are remarkable. It has not undergone any major alterations.

The post Grand Place continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary as UNESCO World Heritage Site appeared first on Brussels Express.

Today, tourists flock to see Khiva – the most homogeneous example of Islamic architecture in the world, which is full of stunning mosques and madrasahs. Its historic center – Itchan Kala has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The post Discovering Central Asia: Khiva, the Museum City appeared first on Brussels Express.

The avenue’s name was chosen in honour of King Leopold II’s eldest daughter, Princess Louise, and was to be the first Haussmann-esque (grand designer of Paris) artery of the city.

At the farthest south-eastern corner of the Avenue, lies La Cambre Abbey, a 12-century abbey with lush gardens that sits abreast the etangs d’ixelles pond. The abbey was suppressed during the French revolution (As Belgium was French territory at the time) but reconstructed in when things had simmered down, and the buildings you see now are the reconstruction efforts from the late 18th century.

As you venture further into the city, you will pass Hôtel Solvay. An unsuspecting hotel to the untrained eye, this hotel was the creation of Victor Horta, Belgian architect who is cited as one of the most influential figures of Art Nouveau, worldwide. Completed in 1900 at the request of wealthy industrialist, Ernest Solvay, Horta was essentially given free reign to redesign the entire house to his liking. This resulted in a deeply inspired house in which every detail, from the stairwells in their joining of the curved lines of decoration with the structure of the building, the open plan with broad widows which diffuse light, the iron crafted railings, and even the intricate door handle, were designed by Horta. Now, being a world-renowned name, Hôtel Solvay is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Just 200 meters further down the road, the sharp contrast between the medieval abbey and the avant-garde of the past is then further thrust into the future with the beckoning Generali Tower, one of the tallest office buildings in Brussels. Its towers above all other buildings in its vicinity, dwarfing them in its colossal magnitude, and is consequently, one of the only buildings in Louise that can be seen when looking at Brussels skyline.

Then comes Stéphanie Square. What many would characterise Avenue Louise now, as a place for designer clothes, boutiques, spas, banks, coffee shops, electronics, this section is littered with shops on every corner and sees a lot of the retail traffic in Brussels. This goes on, all the way until the end of the avenue, when the road is broken in three, splitting off into the other areas of Brussels

The post Portrait of Avenue Louise appeared first on Brussels Express.

The post 7 UNESCO World Heritage logos at the Grand-Place appeared first on Brussels Express.