KOOLISH ZEIN total performance.

Percussion – Word – Film

Cycle 25 years of Youth and Music / 80 years of Academy of Arts

In this anniversary season of 2025/2026 , we regularly aim to step outside our chamber music comfort zone. This time, we invite you to embark on a sensory journey where music, film, and performance merge into a powerful whole. For her master's percussion recital at LUCA School of Arts Leuven, Jasmijn Vandecaetsbeek joined forces with Birgit Smeets, and together they created a captivating, deeply personal, and unique performance that the jury awarded the highest score .

Starting from John Psathas 's expressive composition Koolish Zein , a visual narrative unfolds in which musical emotions and inner tensions are transformed into images. The film forms an artistic mirror of the music: raw, layered, and moving. Image and sound intertwine, reinforce each other, and draw the viewer into an experience that will not let them go.

A performance that gets under your skin.

‍

Performers:

Soloists:
Jasmine Vandecaetsbeek (Belgium), solo percussion
Birgit Smeets (Belgium), words

Percussion ensemble:
José Cruz (Portugal)
Lara Van den Brande (Belgium)
Ilkka Haapanen (Finland)
Lennert Van Laenen (Belgium)

‍

Tickets