Romance for voice and strings
cello, romantic guitar and voice
The soprano Fleur Strijbos, guitarist Emma Wills and cellist Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde are a remarkable trio who create seldom-heard possibilities in sound. Their original anthology, performed on historical instruments, will go straight to your chamber music heart! The programme of intimate and virtuoso miniatures from the 19th century takes a grand tour of Europe. In Spain, the guitar and voice have shared a folk tradition for centuries; composers including Fernando Sor and Pablo de Sarasate sent the sound out into the world. Alongside arrangements by Louis Spohr and Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, you will also hear works by Frédéric Burgmüller and Friedrich Dotzauer, who wove cello and guitar into subtle, contrapuntal dialogues.
A name never to forget again is Pauline Viardot, whose songs can be heard in new arrangements. Viardot built up a career in Paris, moved in the highest echelons of the musical world and navigated gracefully between Spanish folk, French mélodie and the German Lied.
Music by P. Viardot (arr. Emma Wills), L. Spohr (arr. Emma Wills), F. Burgmüller, F. Hensel-Mendelssohn (arr. Emma Wills), P. De Sarasate, J.J.F. Dotzauer, F. Sor and more.
Premiering October 2026, AMUZ (Belgium)
Rebirth
cello & romantic guitar
The Canadian cellist Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde and the Belgian guitarist Emma Wills present Rebirth – The Forgotten Voice of the Romantic Guitar and Cello, a new program that brings a rediscovered sound world to life.
Performing on historical instruments, the duo reveals the delicate richness of original 19th-century works by Friedrich Dotzauer and Frédéric Burgmüller. Their own arrangements also shed light on overlooked works by Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, Emilia Giuliani-Guglielmi, Pablo de Sarasate, Robert Schumann, and Franz Schubert.
Ganymed
pianoforte & romantic guitar
Musicians Emma Wills and Thomas Boodts met at the Vleeshuis Music Museum in Antwerp, where they both serve as ambassadors and resident musicians. It was there that they conceived the idea of reviving a musical pairing that enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the early nineteenth century: the Romantic guitar and the fortepiano. Inspired by the unique sonorities of this instrumentation, Emma and Thomas embarked on a search for repertoire that would allow both instruments to shine. Their exploration has led them to rediscover forgotten musical gems, bringing neglected works back to life with fresh insight and historical sensitivity.
With Ganymed, they present a programme that explores longing—for another world, for nature, and for an unattainable love. Featuring works by Franz Schubert, Ferdinando Carulli and Johann Kaspar Mertz, the programme invites audiences into an intimate sound world where poetry, lyricism, and the rich colours of historical instruments come together.
