THE SYMPHONIES

There was no shortage of Flemish migrants in Paris in the first half of the 18th century. They were often skilled craftsmen, attracted by the largest market for luxury goods in Europe in what had been an era of peace, stability and economic development since the death of Louis XIV in 1715. The Flemish migrants followed an age-old pattern, as they tended to live in the same neighbourhoods and to seek out each other’s company in various cafés and associations. Some of these were artists: Joseph Suvée (1743-1807), a painter from Bruges, won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1771, defeating Jacques-Louis David at that time. What was true for painters was also true for musicians. Hébert Leemans, was originally a citizen of Bruges, as was his contemporary Suvée; they both moved to the French capital at approximately the same time. Leemans was then to play a significant role in the development of the early French symphonic style.

Terra Nova Collective
Developing classical repertoire
Since 2012, Terra Nova Collective brings together the artistic and creative vision of Vlad Weverbergh, and the musicological backbone of David Vergauwen. Ideas, research and development of new ways of programming are done in close collaboration.  Through the quality and energy of the musicians playing on period instruments, new insights come to life with concerts and lecture recitals. The immense investment involved in the research process pays lasting dividends in the availability of scores, online videos and high quality recordings. A telling example is the revival of symphonies by Pieter Van Maldere, whose music was admired and performed by Joseph Haydn at Esterházy and the unique project: The Return of the Clarinetto d’Amore whereby a forgotten clarinet from the Mozart era was again brought on the concert stage. The value of these revived works become clear when presented in context with more familiar works of the western classical repertoire. With a fresh approach, Terra Nova Collective loves to shed its light on Mozart and Beethoven alike. The Collective Terra Nova Collective is based in Antwerp, Belgium – a city brimming with history. Its musicians are also connected to world-renowned ensembles such as Anima Eterna, Les Muffatti, B’Rock Orchestra, Les Agrémens, Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Köln, Le Concert d’Astrée and others. Terra Nova Collective is proud to have the Musical Instruments Museum Brussels - MIM, Vleeshuis Museum Antwerp and the Study Centre for Flemish Music as their research partners. It frequently invites eminent researchers to projects, such as Piet Stryckers (researcher and lecturer Royal Conservatoire Antwerp), Godelieve Spiessens (musicologist) and Albert R. Rice (musicologist, clarinettist). In 2016, Terra Nova Collective gave the world première of the Missa Maria Assumpta by J.A. Faber, a Baroque mass containing the first ever solo for clarinet. The recording met with rave reviews in the international press, with Diapason writing about the ensemble, ‘magnificently doing justice to a palette of surprising colours.’ In season 2017–18, the recording and performances with a historical basset clarinet put Mozart’s famous concerto in a new light. In collaboration with the University of Antwerp, seven lesser known composers were presented in a series of 14 concerts, called Trouvailles. Touring brought the ensemble in season 2018–19 at various places in New York City and at the Takamatsu Festival Musica Antiqua in Japan. 

The Musical Director
The focus of Vlad Weverbergh (1977) is the rediscovery and performance of unjustly neglected composers and their music. For this reason, he founded the Terra Nova Collective in 2012 as artistic and musical director. He handpicked the musicians to create a flexible group in formation, with an adventurous drive to tackle its unique repertoire. Vlad Weverbergh has specialized in historic clarinets and the modern bass clarinet. His recordings include a series of world première recordings and the most important compositions for clarinet, notably Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto KV 622 on a historic basset clarinet. He conducted the world première recording of the Missa Maria Assumpta by J.A. Faber in 2016. This mass, composed in Antwerp during the Baroque period, contains the earliest known solo for clarinet. The recording received great praise from the international music press, including the prestigious French magazine Diapason.   Vlad Weverbergh has collaborated with international artists of the stature of Frank Braley, Mate Scuzcs, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, Vaclav Luks, the Danel Quartet and the Enescu Quartet. As soloist and chamber musician, he is a regular guest with several ensembles in Belgium and abroad. Vlad Weverbergh gives lecture recitals based on rediscovered works. He teaches chamber music and other subjects at the Kunsthumaniora in Antwerp and is bass clarinet professor at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp.  

The Musicologist
The research and dramaturgy of David Vergauwen form an integral part of Terra Nova Collective’s profile. Musicological research is embedded in a bigger perspective on history and the arts, reflecting David’s personal interests and studies. David is also an active member of Amarant, specialised in modern painting, opera and the history of music, with a preference for Belgian music. David Vergauwen studied History, Art History and Musicology at the University of Ghent and Brussels and graduated with a PhD in History. He has written monographs on aspects of freemasonry, and of priesthood in the Middle Ages. He is a regular contributor to publications in his fields of study. David Vergauwen teaches Art History in Bruges and is Research Fellow at the University of Antwerp and the Conservatoire. Amongst other endeavours, he currently contributes to a 2020 museum exhibition and concert series on The Late Romantic Era in Bruges, centered around the composer Joseph Ryelandt.