The ECHO Rising Stars project takes exceptionally talented young soloists on a tour of concert halls that are members of ECHO (European Concert Hall Organisation). Every year, six musicians get the chance to cross their national borders and conquer Europe's finest concert halls. In addition, they each get to submit one composition commission to a contemporary composer. Exceptionally, all six Rising Stars will come to Bozar.  

Sào Soulez Larivière (December 1) 

Sào Soulez Larivière moved from France to the Netherlands and the UK, but his viola studies eventually led him to Germany. So, during his European tour, he will visit more than one familiar place. For his debut at Bozar, he wrote a commission to American composer Julia Wolfe. With Hindemith and Ligeti, this programme rivals your ritual cup of coffee for a rousing start to the day. 

Quatuor Agate (December 8) 

ECHO also gives the opportunity to chamber music ensembles to turn their international ambitions into interconnected concerts. Quatuor Agate - consisting of Andrien Jurkovic, Thomas Descamps, Raphaël Pagnon and Simon Iachemet - is the only ensemble this season. They found each other during their studies in Berlin and in a shared love of Brahms. The quartet is hence named after Agathe von Siebold, to whom Brahms dedicated his Second Sextet. The young Ukrainian Anna Korsun composed a new work especially for their tour.  

Carlos Ferreira (January 12) 

Bossa nova is his guilty pleasure music, but for his concert at Bozar he chose a less southern - though equally adventurous - clarinet programme. Besides Debussy and Bernstein, Ferreira will play a lyrical 1981 Sonatina by Joseph Horovitz, followed by brand new work by Lanqing Ding. Fellow countryman Pedro Emanuel Pereira will accompany the Portuguese virtuoso on piano.   

Benjamin Kruithof (March 16)  

Luxembourg cellist Benjamin Kruithof is also currently in Berlin to continue his studies. He secretly curses Mozart for not having written any works for cello, so he lets his instrument sing in more modern works. For his concert, he combines Boulanger with Fauré (the heartbreaking Elégie), Stravinsky (excerpts from Suite Italienne) and Piazzolla (the turbulent Le Grand Tango). The newly written work this time is by Sally Beamish.  

Lukas Sternath (April 6) 

‘I think life is really all about love’. This is not a quote from our exhibition Love is Louder, but the words of pianist Lukas Sternath. Above all, he wants to share that love with the audience. For his recital at Bozar, he leaves his hero Schubert behind and goes for his legacy. Erik Satie, for instance, with his hushed Gymnopédies. Through György Ligeti, Sternath ends up with violinist and composers Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The latter wrote a new work for this project.  

Matilda Lloyd (April 13) 

At the age of eight, Matilda Lloyd discovers her father's old trumpet. The rest is (recent) history. Music fans and critics already showered her with compliments, and Lloyd released her second album in November 2024 with Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Trumpet Concerto , alongside London Symphony Orchestra. At Bozar, she is flanked only by a piano, allowing her beautiful legato to come into full play. As an imposed new work, Lloyd plays trumpet music by Dani Howard.  

What is Concert Croissant? 

A supremely relaxed, musical Sunday morning. Young musicians welcome ou to the stage of Henry Le Boeuf Hall to share an intimate moment of discovery and musical pleasure. Take advantage of the breakfast + concert formula for one of the most vibrant mornings you imagine with your family and friends. You can find all Concert Croissant here.