One of Brussels’ best known concert venues is set to celebrate the lift of a former emblematic New Yorker.
On November 29 Flagey devotes a whole day to “Moondog”, a musician, composer, poet and inventor of instruments who was nicknamed the “Viking of 6th Avenue”.
Moondog – or Louis T. Hardin to give him his real name – died some 25 years ago. He was blind and homeless in New York but was still known for his music and compositions which fuse Native American rhythms, jazz and classical music.
A day of celebration for Moondog on 29 November will begin with François Mardirossian performing his main works for solo piano.
A conference by Amaury Cornut, a specialist on the composer, and two documentaries – The Story of Moondog and The Viking Composer of 6th Avenue – will follow to explore the life and work of someone who has been called “an extraordinary artist.”
To close, the Brussels Philharmonic and Ill Considered will offer a double bill with the complete interpretation of the iconic album Moondog (1969), mixing symphonies and jazz reinterpretations.
A Flagey spokesman said, “Moondog gained an international reputation for his music and Flagey is happy to devote a day to his life and work”.
