François Servais: the Paganini of the Cello
06/05/2022
François Servais (1807-1866) was a pioneering cellist, a European star and one of the founding fathers of the Belgian School of Cello Playing. He made music with Mendelssohn, Rossini and Vieuxtemps and was rated highly by Schumann, Meyerbeer and Berlioz. One and a half century after his death his virtuoso cello compositions still resound all over the world.
In order to apply for the cello edition, the young cellists had to record a number of works on video. Among these pieces, six etudes by François Servais were listed for the first time. By including his Etudes for cello and piano, opus Postumus in the 2022 repertoire, the Queen Elisabeth Competition aimed to pay tribute to an important Belgian composer and a little known part of Belgian music history.
Come and discover his life and work at the exposition in the entrance hall of Flagey from Monday 9 May until Saturday 21 May (free access).
During the first round and the semi-final of the Cello Competition, you can get to know the life and work of Belgian cellist and composer François Servais at an exposition organised by the Servais Society at Flagey.
François Servais (1807-1866) was a pioneering cellist, a European star and one of the founding fathers of the Belgian School of Cello Playing. He made music with Mendelssohn, Rossini and Vieuxtemps and was rated highly by Schumann, Meyerbeer and Berlioz. One and a half century after his death his virtuoso cello compositions still resound all over the world.
In order to apply for the cello edition, the young cellists had to record a number of works on video. Among these pieces, six etudes by François Servais were listed for the first time. By including his Etudes for cello and piano, opus Postumus in the 2022 repertoire, the Queen Elisabeth Competition aimed to pay tribute to an important Belgian composer and a little known part of Belgian music history.
Come and discover his life and work at the exposition in the entrance hall of Flagey from Monday 9 May until Saturday 21 May (free access).
