Muziekpublique

Duo Gambetta-Sanczuk (Belgium/Italy)

The library of the Council of State

Tuesday 18 August 2026 - 12h30

Council of State - 35 Rue de la Science, 1040 Bruxelles

TUE 18/08

The duo Anouk Sanczuk and Filippo Gambetta brings together experience from a wide range of projects within the European folk and balfolk scene.

Anouk Sanczuk is a Belgian violinist active in projects such as Broes and Bamako Express, where her expressive, narrative playing style with a subtle jazz influence comes strongly to the fore.

In these projects, she explores both traditional melodies and contemporary folk compositions, always leaving ample space for nuance and improvisation.

Filippo Gambetta is an Italian accordionist and composer with a rich international career, both as a solo artist and in ensembles such as the Chôropo Trio.

In these settings, he develops a distinctive musical language in which lyricism, rhythm, and improvisation naturally converge.

When they perform together, their individual artistic paths merge into a shared sonic world.

Their music is rooted in the folk tradition, yet shaped through original compositions and personal arrangements.

The result is a vivid and flexible interplay where spontaneity and refinement are at the heart of the music.

Anouk Sanczuk: violin

Filippo Gambetta: diatonic accordion

The library of the Council of State

Where tailored suits and official rulings usually set the tone, the doors of the Council of State open this year for an extraordinary musical experience. During Hide & Seek festival, you are invited to discover one of Brussels’ best-kept secrets.

Nestled in the heart of the European Quarter stands an elegant neoclassical mansion, built between 1858 and 1860 to a design by Alphonse Balat, the royal architect responsible for the reconstruction of the Royal Palace and the iconic Royal Greenhouses of Laeken.

At the heart of the building lies its remarkable library, home to one of the country’s most important legal collections. Surrounded by thousands of volumes on legislation and administrative law, visitors encounter a space that contrasts strikingly with the building’s more austere architecture. Finished in a rich Neo-Flemish Renaissance style, the library exudes a warm and almost intimate sense of grandeur. Before the Council of State took up residence here, the library formed part of the private collection of Albert I of Belgium. Together with Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, he lived in the building between 1901 and 1909.

During Hide & Seek, this remarkable venue steps beyond its usual role. Amid a wealth of legal and cultural knowledge, the Duo Gambetta-Sanczuk presents a concert in which history, architecture, and music enter into dialogue with one another. A rare opportunity to experience this exceptional place in an entirely new way.