Last night, the MIRY Concert Hall sounded its very best during Rough Surfaces. Three composition students from KASK & Conservatorium Gent wrote new works for three ensembles, bringing them into dialogue with music by Szymanowski, Bach, Ligeti, Boulanger and Barvinsky.

The Turicum Quartet performed a new composition by Yngwie Janseghers, the Osimun saxophone quartet took on a piece by Milo van Binnendijk, and the Susato Trio premiered a new work by Flore Delvaux.

Yngwie Janseghers' fragile piece came to an unexpected close as the musicians crushed small plastic cups underfoot, a playful moment perfectly suited to the evening's spirit of experimentation. Osimun brought both humour and rapture, while Susato left the hall hushed with the melancholy of Boulanger and the power of Barvinsky.

Old alongside new, young alongside established, and above all, plenty of music challenging itself.

Want to relive the evening? The recordings will air on Thursday 1 October at 8pm on Klara in Concert.

Photos: Björn Comhaire