Schumann & Franck

International Chamber Classics Festival

Following a hugely successful inaugural event, the International Chamber Classics Festival (ICCF), organised by CMDI Group in collaboration with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, returns to Belgium in 2026, continuing its mission to bring together outstanding young musicians and leading international pedagogues in a celebration of chamber music at the highest level.

Taking place from 28 April to 1 May, the festival will be held at two of the country’s most prestigious venues, namely the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the Musica Mundi School, and will offer an intensive programme of masterclasses and concerts led by a distinguished faculty. The MIM is very pleased to host a concert as part of this festival.

Indeed, the 2026 teaching team includes such luminaries as Italian pianists Enrico Pace (Accademia Internazionale di Imola, Italy) and Giuliano Mazzoccante (Conservatorio “Luisa D’Annunzio”, Italy); German cellist Claudio Bohórquez (Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler”, Germany); Belgian violinist Yossif Ivanov (Royal Conservatory of Brussels); as well as violist Mihai Cocea (Conservatorium Maastricht, Netherlands, Romania) and violist Matthew McDowell (Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Belgium, USA), all of whom are internationally active artists with strong pedagogical experience.

Additionally, two further concerts are scheduled as part of this 2026 edition, featuring Enrico Pace, Claudio Bohórquez, Matthew McDowell, Mihai Cocea, Yossif Ivanov, and Giuliano Mazzoccante, alongside students from the festival cohort. The most accomplished students will be selected to perform alongside their professors, offering them a rare opportunity to showcase their artistry in a professional concert setting.

Musicians

• Yossif Ivanov, Ignacio Rodriguez – violin
• Mihai Cocea – viola
• Mikayel Voskanyan – cello
• Giuliano Mazzoccante – piano

Programme

• Robert Schumann – Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47
• César Franck – Piano Quintet in F minor