Alexander Malofeev

Welcome to the 20th Klarafestival!

Under the title We Are Now, this special anniversary edition pays tribute to the here and now. No one embraces the magic of the moment more fearlessly than festival artist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Wherever and whatever she plays, this Moldovan violinist and composer sets the stage alight. For her, every concert is a new beginning, a full moment in which anything can happen. Klarafestival 2025 paints a multifaceted portrait of Patricia Kopatchinskaja as a violinist, composer and inspiring presence.

In honour of our 20th anniversary, we are launching a new tradition: for one day, Mont des Arts will be transformed into the Muziekberg /Mont des Musiques. Alongside concerts and performances at various venues, a new ensemble will also see the light. Sound of Brussels Orchestra goes in search of the exceptional sound of our capital.

We live in challenging times, and some of the festival projects reflect on this. At the same time, they demonstrate how much hope can lurk between the notes of a Stabat Mater or a Dies Irae. How music can move and inspire us. For Patricia Kopatchinskaja, music is no abstract matter: ‘Music is there for us to do something with it. Even when it has no concrete message or function, it appeals to us. It wants to be heard. I don't believe in absolute music. Not really.'

Let the celebration begin!

Joost Fonteyne, intendant
Jan Raes, chairman
Chantal Pattyn, network manager

Alexander Malofeev

Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev rose to international fame in 2014 when he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians at the age of thirteen, where he stood out for his maturity, refined technique and well-balanced sound. In the meantime, he has established himself as one of the most notable pianists of his generation. He has worked with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, hr-Sinfonieorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra and with conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Kent Nagano and Marin Alsop. His international tours have brought him to venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Teatro alla Scala, Philharmonie de Paris and Carnegie Hall.