Christmas Waves

Concert

LUCA Percussions & Marimba

Ludwig Albert, conductor

Rodrigo Marques, marimba

Foo Pui Yee, marimba

Buy your tickets below.

Free for staff and students of LUCA/KSO Lemmensinstituut.

Tickets

The marimba and percussion are among the oldest musical instruments in the world, and they continue to captivate audiences today with the marimba’s warm, rich tonal colours and the unmatched rhythmic power of percussion. In Christmas Waves, the LUCA Marimba & Percussion Ensemble and conductor Dr. Ludwig Albert present a festive concert where tradition and innovation come together.

The programme features two world premieres. The evening opens with EASTER STAR OUVERTURE, a brand-new work for percussion ensemble by alumnus Rodrigo Marques. A special highlight is the premiere of HEARTWOOD CONCERTO, a new co-composition by Ludwig Albert and Rodrigo Marques. Originally written for marimba and symphony orchestra and selected as the compulsory work for the prestigious Universal Marimba Competition, the concerto will be performed during Christmas Waves for the first time in an exclusive version for solo marimba and percussion ensemble, featuring the Marimba Masters Alumni 2026 as soloists together with the percussion ensemble.

A second highlight is THE WAVE by the legendary Japanese marimbist Keiko Abe. Ludwig Albert, a former student of Abe, made the first-ever recording of this masterpiece twenty years ago on his CD Global Marimba – A Tribute to Keiko Abe. During Christmas Waves, this impressive work returns in a special concert performance featuring the guest soloists and ensemble.

In addition, the programme presents a colourful selection of beloved classical masterpieces, traditional melodies and atmospheric Christmas classics, with music by Maurice Ravel, Johann Strauss II, Luigi Denza, Adolphe Adam and Franz Xaver Gruber. Through the warm resonance of the marimba, these familiar compositions acquire a surprisingly fresh and distinctive sound palette.

Special guests include the internationally acclaimed alumni and marimba soloists Rodrigo Marques (Portugal) and Foo Pui Yee (Hong Kong). Together with an international ensemble of students from South Korea, China, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine, Belgium, Bulgaria, Thailand, Poland and Hong Kong, they promise an evening of remarkable virtuosity, expression and musicality.

With his internationally praised lyrical style, Ludwig Albert continues to move audiences time and again. His musical signature is distinguished by an exceptional combination of poetic expression, refined virtuosity, dynamic power and unparalleled tone production.

Christmas Waves is more than a Christmas concert. It is a musical journey in which the warm resonance of the marimba, the energy of percussion and the magic of the Christmas season merge into a captivating experience. A concert filled with light, colour, surprising sounds and international excellence, celebrating the beginning of the festive season in grand style.

Programme: