The Department's annual symposium

The Department's annual symposium

The Early Music Department of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels has been organizing an annual research colloquium since 2010, led by Marc Vanscheeuwijck.
It is during this intensive week that the cohesion and vibrancy that characterize the department are most evident.

Since 2010, the CrB Early Music Department has been organizing an annual colloquium under the direction of Marc Vanscheeuwijck. It provides an ideal opportunity to bring together teachers and students for a whole week to discuss a common subject broad enough to encompass all the instruments and periods studied in the department.

This week of research is punctuated by plenary activities in the form of lectures, papers, and masterclasses, as well as closed-door sessions like class workshops, collective score readings, and external visits. The colloquium is often combined with a trip or an instrumental fair.

Through these colloquia, we aim to encourage research that will enhance historical practice by sharing knowledge. Held at the beginning of the academic year, these colloquia give color and coherence to the other events throughout the year. 

Plenary sessions

  • The lectures provide a broad perspective on the chosen subjects, offering insights into the artistic, political, and social contexts.

  • The presentations delve into specific subjects, ranging from the exploration of a harpsichord maker in a particular region to understanding a dancer's score, agogics, and opera professions. 

  • The masterclasses offer the chance to gain insights from a specialist teacher, whether from within or outside the CrB, regarding a thematic piece performed by the students.

  • Instrumental fairs bring together string and wind instrument makers, showcasing their craftsmanship. These events attract a diverse audience from outside the department, fostering exchanges, auditions, and numerous instrument trials.

Closed-door activities

  • Workshops bring students together with their teacher and, at times, a subject specialist from outside the department. In these sessions, students present their research work on a specific subject, which could be musical (instrumental auditions, contextualizing instrumental technique, assumed organology, etc.) or written (summaries of articles, research into scores, analysis, etc.). Students prepare a set of questions to facilitate discussion among all participants.

  • Some colloquia offer the chance to organize collective score readings. For example, in the case of opera, various arias and recitatives may be explored, or the reading of manuscripts from the Fonds Ste Gudule.

  • The trips provide teachers and students with the opportunity to visit the places discussed during the symposium. These few days of visits to Venice, Bologna, or Naples, guided by Marc Vanscheeuwijck, are rich in lessons and human connections.

2010 – 2011

2011 – 2012




2012 – 2013




2013 – 2014


2013 – 2014


2014 – 2015


2015 – 2016


2015 – 2016






2016 – 2017


2017 – 2018


2018 – 2019


2019 – 2020


2020 – 2021


2021 – 2022


2022 – 2023

2010-2011

From the medieval fiddle to the 17th-century violin, with a look at original instruments and reconstructions. 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck and Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans. 

2011-2012

A general approach to the diversity of musical education in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Musicians and their concert installations in the Baroque period 
What instruments and instrumental techniques were used in the solo violoncello repertoire before 1740? 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck
Instrumental fair - bowed strings 

2012-2013

Stories of violin making: from the Renaissance to the Baroque
La belle danse and Bach's cello suites 
What did the 18th and 19th centuries make us forget about older violin making?  
Marc Vanscheeuwijck and Tormod Daelen 
Instrumental fair - bowed strings

2013-2014

Historical wind instruments
Jan de Winne, Martin Mürner, Claude Maury, Eric Hoeprich, Jean Tubery
Instrumental fair - winds

2013-2014

The Neapolitan cello school
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2014-2015

The French school of cello, violin and oboe between 1700 and 1760
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2015-2016

The influence of Italian musicians on music in England in the early eighteenth century
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2015-2016

Historical wind instruments
Walter Bassetto, Damien Bardonnet, Franz Biersack, Tony Bingham, Philippe Castejon, Olivier Cottet,  Annelies  Decock, François De Rudder, Marc Ecochard, Rainer Egger, Soren Green, Andrew Hallock, Guido Hulsens, Augustin Humeau, Wolfgang Kube, Daniel Kunst, Michael Münzwitz , Vincent Onida, Alberto Ponchio, Pierre Ribo, Bruno Salenson, Andras Schöni, Richard Seraphinoff, Michael Taglinger, Paul van der Linden, Stephaan Verdegem, Alain Weemael and Pierre Coulon, Hans-Peter Westermann and Anette Spehr, Guntram Wolf. 
Instrumental fair - winds  

2016-2017

The development of instrumental music in Bologna and Venice between 1680 and 1750 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Alberto Grazzi, Paolo Grazzi, Susanne Scholz
Study trip to Bologna and Venice

2017-2018

Instrumental diminutions from prima to secunda pratica 
William Dongois, Tiago Simas Freire, Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Guido Maria Klemisch

2018-2019

Rhetoric in Baroque music from German-speaking countries
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Nicole Rouillé and Pierre Alain-Clerc, Walter Corten, Frédéric de Roos and Frederick Haas  

2019-2020

Where? When? How? For whom? Music and its performance contexts 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck + student presentations

2020-2021

Opera in Venice and Vienna at the end of the 17th century and Opera in London at the beginning of the 18th century
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Margaux Sladden, Benoit Laurent

2021-2022

French music and dance from Louis XIV to Louis XVI
Marc Vanscheeuwijck Sigrid T’Hooft, Margaux Sladden, Frederick Haas  

2022-2023

Brussels and the Southern Netherlands from 1598 to 1830
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Benoit Laurent, Frederick Haas, Nicolas Achten, Jan Strick, Barthold Kuijken

2010-2011

From the medieval fiddle to the 17th-century violin, with a look at original instruments and reconstructions. 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck and Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans. 

2011-2012

A general approach to the diversity of musical education in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Musicians and their concert installations in the Baroque period 
What instruments and instrumental techniques were used in the solo violoncello repertoire before 1740? 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck
Instrumental fair - bowed strings 

2012-2013

Stories of violin making: from the Renaissance to the Baroque
La belle danse and Bach's cello suites 
What did the 18th and 19th centuries make us forget about older violin making?  
Marc Vanscheeuwijck and Tormod Daelen 
Instrumental fair - bowed strings

2013-2014

Historical wind instruments
Jan de Winne, Martin Mürner, Claude Maury, Eric Hoeprich, Jean Tubery
Instrumental fair - winds

2013-2014

The Neapolitan cello school
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2014-2015

The French school of cello, violin and oboe between 1700 and 1760
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2015-2016

The influence of Italian musicians on music in England in the early eighteenth century
Marc Vanscheeuwijck

2015-2016

Historical wind instruments
Walter Bassetto, Damien Bardonnet, Franz Biersack, Tony Bingham, Philippe Castejon, Olivier Cottet,  Annelies  Decock, François De Rudder, Marc Ecochard, Rainer Egger, Soren Green, Andrew Hallock, Guido Hulsens, Augustin Humeau, Wolfgang Kube, Daniel Kunst, Michael Münzwitz , Vincent Onida, Alberto Ponchio, Pierre Ribo, Bruno Salenson, Andras Schöni, Richard Seraphinoff, Michael Taglinger, Paul van der Linden, Stephaan Verdegem, Alain Weemael and Pierre Coulon, Hans-Peter Westermann and Anette Spehr, Guntram Wolf. 
Instrumental fair - winds  

2016-2017

The development of instrumental music in Bologna and Venice between 1680 and 1750 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Alberto Grazzi, Paolo Grazzi, Susanne Scholz
Study trip to Bologna and Venice

2017-2018

Instrumental diminutions from prima to secunda pratica 
William Dongois, Tiago Simas Freire, Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Guido Maria Klemisch

2018-2019

Rhetoric in Baroque music from German-speaking countries
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Nicole Rouillé and Pierre Alain-Clerc, Walter Corten, Frédéric de Roos and Frederick Haas  

2019-2020

Where? When? How? For whom? Music and its performance contexts 
Marc Vanscheeuwijck + student presentations

2020-2021

Opera in Venice and Vienna at the end of the 17th century and Opera in London at the beginning of the 18th century
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Margaux Sladden, Benoit Laurent

2021-2022

French music and dance from Louis XIV to Louis XVI
Marc Vanscheeuwijck Sigrid T’Hooft, Margaux Sladden, Frederick Haas  

2022-2023

Brussels and the Southern Netherlands from 1598 to 1830
Marc Vanscheeuwijck, Benoit Laurent, Frederick Haas, Nicolas Achten, Jan Strick, Barthold Kuijken