The Belle Époque Magique Concert Series Returns

This week, LAS was lucky enough to host the Chimera Trio, a talented group of musicians that perform a broad and eclectic range of repertoire from tangos, Balkan folk tunes, and traditional Irish music, to French impressionist classics and bluegrass music. During the day, the trio led workshops with LAS students and the Leysin community, and in the evening, performed at LAS as part of our Belle Époque Magique concert series. Experiential learning is at the heart of  what we do at LAS and for our students to get a hands-on tutorial from the expert musicians of the Chimera Trio was a real treat! 

Belle Époque Magique is a program designed to connect the LAS community with skilled artists in the hopes that our students gain inspiration from these talented virtuosos and acquire a deeper insight into the world of music. We welcome local and global talent to not only perform in the beautiful Grande Salle at the Belle Époque but to engage our community through workshops that develop innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world. 

The trio’s workshop allowed students to experiment with different instruments and learn about the process composers go through to make music and then notate it. Students learned about traditional musical styles and experimental sounds, reflecting on how they evoke emotion and paint visual ideas. One teacher recalled, "it was great to see students without mobile phones, laughing, listening, collaborating, having fun, exchanging, and creating! I’m looking forward to more workshops like this!”

The Belle Époque Magique concert in the evening allowed our community to observe these talented performers as they experimented with different sounds and demonstrated their musical finesse. Connecting LAS with the Leysin community, we witnessed the musicians’ unique combination of instruments and wide range of musical interests. This combination created a wholly unique and inspiring performance!

The Chimera Trio’s visit helped engage LAS students with the world of music and provided cultural enrichment to everyone in the Leysin community who attended. Hosting experts in different fields continually enhances our students’ learning and gives them the opportunity to let their creativity flow and collaborate with others. Thank you to the Chimera Trio for giving us hands-on experience and inspiring our community!