Speaker: Agnès Briolle-Vieuxtemps

Description:
Agnès Briolle-Vieuxtemps, musician, musicologist, pianist, educator, and author, presents a lecture dedicated to her great-great-grandfather, the Belgian violinist and composer Henri Vieuxtemps (1820–1881).

A leading figure of the Franco-Belgian violin school, Vieuxtemps was celebrated internationally as a virtuoso and composer. The lecture will explore his remarkable career, from child prodigy to one of the most influential violinists of the Romantic era, as well as his close connection with Paris and his important contribution to the violin repertoire, including his concertos and chamber music.

Particular attention will be given to Vieuxtemps's relationship with the viola and his interest in the instrument, which he described as “an instrument that stirs the soul.”

The lecture will be followed by a viola masterclass with violist Pierre Lenert at 5:30 PM in Salle Cortot, and a concert at 8:00 PM. Separate reservations are required for the masterclass and concert.

About the Speaker:
Agnès Briolle-Vieuxtemps is a French musicologist, pianist, educator, and author, as well as the great-great-granddaughter of Henri Vieuxtemps. She founded the Henry Vieuxtemps Association in France, dedicated to promoting the composer's legacy and the Franco-Belgian violin school.

She has published extensively on Vieuxtemps and has presented lectures internationally on his life, music, and legacy.