This violin concerto has 4 parts: a solid overture, a playful scherzo, an intimate romance and a swirling finale! The musical language fully embraces the Western musical traditions.
The CD can be purchased (€15) by sending an email to stefaan.vanheertum@telenet.be
The composer wrote this violin concerto in 2016/2017 for the young talented violinist Siewald Degraeve. After the world premiere in Ghent in 2017, the concerto underwent various adaptations. Some were suggested by Nicolas Dupont on the soloist part, a couple of suggestions on the overture by composer Lucien Posman. The concerto reached its final format in 2024. This version was recorded in November 9, 2025 at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven.
Below a short introduction of performers.
Soloist Nicolas Dupont
Based in Brussels since 2017, Nicolas Dupont has established himself on international stages through his musicality and remarkable versatility. He has performed in iconic venues such as Wigmore Hall, BOZAR, the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Boulezsaal. A member of ensembles including the Kugoni Trio, Ensemble K, Duo Andaluza, and the Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble, he has premiered over 100 works in close collaboration with composers and has recorded around 30 albums. A passionate pedagogue, he is also a violin professor at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles. Nicolas plays on a Giuseppe Pedrazzini violin, generously on loan by a sponsor.
Ataneres
Ataneres is a dynamic and autonomous orchestra based in Leuven, Belgium. They passionately connect classical music with a diverse audience. With a group of promising young soloists and chamber musicians, representing a diverse mix of Belgian and international backgrounds, Ataneres embodies a fresh approach to musical expression. The orchestra embraces both traditional and avant-garde repertoire and fearlessly explores unchartered musical territory.
Conductor Erik Desimpelaere
Besides being a recognized composer and arranger, Erik is chief-conductor of the Royal Symphonic Wind Band Vooruit Harelbeke (BE). He is frequently asked as guest conductor, with amongst others Belgian National Orchestra, Phion, Belgian Brass and Ataneres Ensemble. He was assistant conductor with the Dutch National Opera Academy, the Dutch Touring Opera and the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (NNO).
The recording took place in the Lemmens institute in Leuven on November 9, 2025. Recording, mastering and editing by “Acoustic Recording Services”, Yannick Willox.
Photos by “Fabrique Imagique”, Sam van den Brandt.
CD design by Katrien Blontrock.
The solo violin opens the concerto and sets the scene with a solid theme
This theme is developed, reversed and unravelled in a dialogue between orchestra and soloist.
After a while, the soloist plays a variation of the theme:
Ultimately, the solo violin engages the full orchestra towards an orchestral climax but then quickly the theme is put at rest.
The string section opens with a rhythmic and vivacious theme
The woodwind section answers and develops a swinging counter-theme!
The answer of the solo violin is a rhythmical and punchy intermission:
Prepared by the timpani and brass section, a grandiose climax follows. But immediately, the tension dissolves in a mysterious and melancholically reprise of the theme, finally played in its entirety by the solo violin. Followed by a pointed recitativo-like intermission, almost unaccompanied, the solo violin compels the orchestra to finish the second movement in a meditative way.
After the exuberance of the second part, the romance begins with an announcement by the flute, internalising the atmosphere. The orchestra tip-toes into a gentle soundscape (the Glockenspiel and marimba!) and when the solo violin enters, a highly romantic and lyrical theme is presented.
This theme develops accompanied by the glockenspiel. An ethereal orchestral sound emerges but dissolves in a fragile harmony, supporting the high notes of the solo violin. This is a fairytale world! The orchestra develops a more rhythmic interlude. The solo violin joins in and leads the orchestra once more to the fragile high notes and pedal chord supporting it. The flute in dialogue with the soloist ends this romantic movement.
After the romantic third movement, it is time for a dazzling ‘grande’ finale!! The captivating, flamboyant theme in a dance-like 11/8 rhythm is irresistible and quickly affects the entire orchestra. Eventually, the main theme is introduced by the violin solo, sweeping the entire orchestra along in a compelling rhythmic and swirling motion.
After a while, the tempo slows down and we glide into a sustained adagio. This becomes a lyrical intermezzo with intimate dialogues between the solo violin and instruments of the brass and wood section, as if the solo violin wants to thank the orchestra for the musical journey travelled together. But the end is near! The opening theme is picked up again in an accelerando. And in an ever-faster swirling final, the solo violin ultimately is engulfed by the orchestra, disappearing in a crescendo that ends in a fantastic final swirl!