Storyteller

In today’s ever-accelerating world, audiences gain meaningful value from a compelling narrative. One that situates the music within a broader context.

Whether Wilfried is talking about Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, or Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Gustav Mahler or Ivor Gurney,the composer’s or songwriter’s personal life and story always take centre stage. Invariably, there is a striking interplay between the historical era, the biographical context and the artistic output.

“Mit seinen brillanten und wohltuend akzentuiert gesprochenen Zwischentexten moderierte er auf intelligente und ausgesprochen charmante Art und Weise den Abend”
_{– deropernfreund.de}

Special attention is paid to the lyrics of a song and the era in which they were written. Wilfried recounts the story of the poet who penned them and the history behind their creation.

For the audience, this creates a sense of recognition when listening to the songs. Stepping into a world that might have felt unfamiliar, now feels like coming home.

In this way, song recitals return to their informal roots. In the first half of the 19th century, they were living-room concerts among friends. With George Gershwin or Cole Porter, you were fully immersed in the atmosphere of a Jazz Age party.

Recital: George Gershwin – Iedereen Klassiek

De Standaard

“In a slightly smaller but equally packed hall next door, black-and-white photographs of a young man in a stately suit are projected. ‘If there is one composer who fits Iedereen Klassiek, it is George Gershwin,’ says bass-baritone Wilfried Van den Brande. ‘A man who effortlessly combines two worlds: that of Broadway and that of Carnegie Hall. That is also what is happening here today: beautiful music with a very rich tradition is being presented to a very wide audience.’ Together with pianist Bart Van Caenegem, he presents a programme in which Gershwin songs (or rather, hits) are interspersed with entertaining anecdotes from the man’s life. ‘Nice, isn’t it?’, asks the man in the seat next to me afterwards. I agree with a nod, and rightly so.”
– Bram Van Haelter, De Standaard (2023)

The stories are also accompanied by authentic images reflecting the periods in question.