Release on September 1st, 2026

Belgian Sounds is an album dedicated to promoting works by the Belgian composers Eric Feldbusch, Félix Snyers, and Pieter Schuermans, recorded in world-premiere by pianist Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden and cellist Olsi Leka for the White-Records label. The album also includes César Franck's (1822–1890) Sonata for Cello and Piano, one of the cornerstones of the recital repertoire.

Franck's Sonata in A major was originally presented as a wedding gift to the young Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe in its original version for violin and piano. The cello version faithfully preserves both the structure and the original key. It should therefore not be regarded as a mere arrangement, but rather as an alternative version for cello, approved by the composer himself and authenticated by his autograph.

According to oral tradition, the sonata portrays the successive stages of married life: the first movement expresses the excitement of the lovers' meeting, the second their passion, the third their conflicts and remorse, while the final movement celebrates reconciliation, balance, and mutual acceptance.

Eric Feldbusch's Variations extra formelles, Op. 30, were composed in October 1961 as part of the composer's search for a resolutely modern musical language. It is hardly surprising that the cello occupies such a prominent role, considering that Feldbusch (1922–2007) was one of Belgium's leading cellists during the second half of the twentieth century. Through cadenzas and highly animated passages, the solo part explores a new aesthetic for the instrument as well as the limits of its technical possibilities, while never descending into empty virtuosity. Every technical challenge serves the musical discourse and expressive intent.

Doux et tendres moments élégiaques, Op. 147, by Félix Snyers (1940–2025), was composed in December 1996 following the death of the composer's eldest daughter. The name Myriam appears symbolically throughout the work through a succession of notes corresponding to the letters of her name. The composition consists of exactly thirty-three measures, reflecting the age at which she passed away. Deeply moving, this intimate work unfolds in an atmosphere of contemplation where grief, resignation, nostalgia, and at times restrained anger intertwine, conveying the profound emotional complexity of bereavement.

Sonata Rivelata op. 31 by Pieter Schuermans was composed in 2015 as a gift for his son on the occasion of his coming of age. Imbued with a neo-Romantic aesthetic, the work expresses paternal love with sincerity and holds the listener's attention from beginning to end. Cello and piano engage in a rich dialogue of warm harmonies and expansive melodic lines, exploring a broad emotional landscape ranging from the deeply intimate to the dramatically powerful, in a musical language that is both generous and profoundly expressive.