As We Were Gazing at the Stars

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Fusion of folk, jazz, and classical music has always interested me. While these genres are very different, when brought into collaboration they complement each other in the most exciting way.

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The idea of such a jazzy Belarusian concerto has occupied my mind for many years, until I finally made this dream a reality. Being Belarusian myself, folk music has been an essential element of my writing throughout my life, and it forms the foundation of this work.

I based my work on elements of Belarusian folk music, combined with a touch of jazz and classical expressiveness.

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At the time of writing, I was deeply inspired by the playing of the exceptional musician, Belgian flutist Berten D’Hollander.

Berten and I have performed together several times; it felt natural to write for our duo as soloists of the concerto.

Berten’s versatility, openness to anything new, willingness to experiment, and simply to play allowed me to be as free as I wanted. His exceptional musicality and virtuosity always astonish me.

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I wanted the score to be lush, sharp, very romantic, and extremely sincere — all that real, profound human relationships are about. The presence of harp and shimmering percussion, such as campanelli and vibraphone, is meant to create a fairytale-like, star-tingling atmosphere, while the music evokes the breathtaking vastness of the universe, as if lying on the shore at night and looking at the stars.

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As We Were Gazing at the Stars is a take on hope and love, and we are looking forward to its premiere in the 2026–27 season.