Vardan Hovanissian Quintet

The duduk and all the soul of Armenia at the Cercle Royal Gaulois. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Vardan Hovanissian’s debut as a professional musician with the Armenian National Folk Music Ensemble. To celebrate this event, he has brought together an exceptional quintet of Armenian musicians for a unique concert: Arcadi Bogossian on the tar (long-necked lute), Narine Hakobyan on the kanoun (dulcimer), Yervand Hakobyan on the kamanche (spike fiddle) and Marat Jeremyan on the dhol (percussion). Since discovering the duduk, thanks to his mentor Khachik Khachatryan, Vardan Hovanissian has become one of the most talented ambassadors of this ancient double-reed instrument, whose melancholic and warm tones are at the heart of Armenian music. He is also increasingly appreciated by audiences around the world. Deeply rooted in traditional Armenian music, Vardan Hovanissian naturally weaves links with the music of neighbouring countries, such as Turkey and Syria, as well as with other European folk and jazz influences, notably Arax, in a duo with Emre Gültekin, Sephardic singer Yasmin Levy and Moroccan oud player Driss El Maloumi. Get ready for a surprising evening in the company of one of our country’s most impressive musicians. CERCLE ROYAL GAULOIS You need to be an ambassador, a magistrate, an academician or a captain of industry to step through the doors of the Cercle Royal Gaulois, Artistique et Littéraire. Or, for one evening only, to hold a ticket to the Hide & Seek Festival. Right in the heart of the Parc Royal, behind a façade you’ve probably never dared push open, hides one of the most discreet private clubs in Brussels. Since 1847, this is where the fine arts of conversation and dining have been quietly perfected. And the Tuesday night dinners are proof. For fifty years, dozens of members have gathered around the same table. One of them has composed the menu. Another is in charge of reviewing it, with wit and the occasional touch of bad faith. Friendship always wins over criticism. But the Cercle isn’t only about dinners. Conferences, debates, openings, concerts, diplomatic galas: being invited to the Gaulois’ rostrum is the kind of honour that even the greatest artists, speakers and heads of state don’t turn down. Inside, there’s thinking, debating, listening, applauding. And then there’s everything that happens beyond the walls. The Cercle isn’t just lounges and salons: it’s also golf, vintage cars, hunting, clay shooting, sailing, motorcycles. Shared passions, journeys to discover a region, a city, a country. Not to mention the library, five thousand volumes for quieter evenings: history, politics, diplomacy and the novels that defined their era. The concert takes place in the Salle des Caryatides. A masterpiece of Brussels neo-classicism, completed in 1821 and crowned by two balconies. For one evening only, step inside one of Brussels’ most emblematic addresses, where conviviality meets refinement.