Instrument Fair
21–22 April 2026
This year, the Instrument Fair of the Early Music Department at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles returns in an enhanced format.
Alongside the well-established meeting point for students, musicians and instrument makers, a scientific forumis now being introduced, designed to extend discussion and open a space for reflection on early instruments and their use today.
The fair thus retains its open and convivial spirit, while offering a new focal point dedicated to dialogue, analysis and the sharing of experience.
Held alongside the instrument fair, the scientific forum brings together a series of talks and discussions devoted to organology, approached from the perspective of the practicing musician..
The forum considers early instruments both as historical objects and as tools for performance, closely tied to very concrete choices: instrument making, setup, sound, use, and technical or interpretative compromises.
It explores how such choices are made today, at the intersection of historical sources, traditions, research, and the practical realities of musical performance.
Among these questions, the issue of the musician's taste occupies an important place: how do our sonic and aesthetic preferences take shape? Which criteria—consciously or not—do we rely on when choosing an instrument or a way of playing? And to what extent should personal taste be considered a relevant tool, or rather a reflex that needs to be questioned, when engaging with historical frameworks, sources and practices that are not our own?
The contributions bring together the perspectives of musicians, instrument makers and researchers, fostering an atmosphere of exchange, openness and shared reflection.
A well-established biannual event within the department, the instrument fair remains at the heart of the programme.
It offers students and musicians the opportunity to meet specialist instrument and bow makersdirectly, to discover and try instruments, and to discuss their design, use and specific characteristics.
Within this renewed format, the presence of the scientific forum naturally extends the experience of the fair, inviting participants to take a step back and reflect on the instruments on display and on the choices they entail for musical practice.
The list of exhibitors will be announced shortly.
Held alongside the instrument fair, the scientific forum brings together a series of talks and discussions devoted to organology, approached from the perspective of the practicing musician..
The forum considers early instruments both as historical objects and as tools for performance, closely tied to very concrete choices: instrument making, setup, sound, use, and technical or interpretative compromises.
It explores how such choices are made today, at the intersection of historical sources, traditions, research, and the practical realities of musical performance.
Among these questions, the issue of the musician's taste occupies an important place: how do our sonic and aesthetic preferences take shape? Which criteria—consciously or not—do we rely on when choosing an instrument or a way of playing? And to what extent should personal taste be considered a relevant tool, or rather a reflex that needs to be questioned, when engaging with historical frameworks, sources and practices that are not our own?
The contributions bring together the perspectives of musicians, instrument makers and researchers, fostering an atmosphere of exchange, openness and shared reflection.
A well-established biannual event within the department, the instrument fair remains at the heart of the programme.
It offers students and musicians the opportunity to meet specialist instrument and bow makersdirectly, to discover and try instruments, and to discuss their design, use and specific characteristics.
Within this renewed format, the presence of the scientific forum naturally extends the experience of the fair, inviting participants to take a step back and reflect on the instruments on display and on the choices they entail for musical practice.
The list of exhibitors will be announced shortly.
21-22 April 2026
from 10am to 6pm
Royal Conservatory of Brussels
site Chêne – Grand Hall/Auditorium
17, rue du Chêne – 1000 Bruxelles
English (UK) 
Français