This past weekend, we closed out our fall tour with Nadar Ensemble at Transit Festival in Leuven — and what a perfect way to wrap things up! Leuven always feels like home: it’s full of memories and friendly faces, and the food at STUK never disappoints. Performing there feels like a reunion, and the buzzing festival crowd adds that extra spark of energy.

Playing with Nadar is always a joy. The musicians are exceptional, and the creative rapport we’ve built over time makes every project feel fresh and exciting. I’m proud of how we keep pushing boundaries and collaborating on meaningful works together.

The program we brought was the Nadar Summer School’s What’s Next project. This year’s four composers — Eveline Vervliet (Belgium), Paul Scully (Ireland), Nina Fukuoka (Poland/Japan), and Matthew Grouse (UK) — each brought a truly distinct voice:

• Eveline Vervliet – The silence that sounds in its absence
• Paul Scully – Personal Best
• Nina Fukuoka – Yuggoth
• Matthew Grouse – To put words in my mouth

Hearing and realizing these pieces with the ensemble gives me hope about the next generation of composers. They challenged us, inspired us — and reminded me why we keep doing this.

(Photos from the performance are included — all are by Evy Ottermans.)

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It was a particular joy that MATRIX [New Music Centre] celebrated their 25th anniversary during Transit this year — a milestone for an institution that has nurtured so many voices in new music in Leuven and beyond. I would be remiss if I also did not highlight the amazing socks they distributed as part of the celebration. They are bold and perfect as an unforgettable emblem of MATRIX’s creative spirit — a fun little touch that made the 25th birthday even more memorable.

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Looking Ahead: October 27 in Köln

Up next: October 27, I’ll be performing at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, in their main concert hall, as part of their portrait concert for George Lewis. My piece will be Oraculum (solo trombone) — the first time I’ll present anything by Lewis, and the first time I’ll play trombone at HfMT in my role as professor there.

This concert is part of the Composing While Black & Queer symposium held at the school. Over three days (27-29 October, 2025), the symposium explores questions of identity, representation, and new directions in contemporary music.

I’m deeply enjoying working on Oraculum. It feels both challenging and rewarding, and presenting it in this context feels meaningful. Doing so in the same institution where I teach — on a program centered on inclusion, visibility, and expanding musical narratives — gives the concert extra weight for me personally.

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