22/10/2026
🙏🏼
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
As I look at what is happening around us, particularly in Europe, with culture budgets being cut and the consequences extending far beyond the arts themselves — affecting artists, cultural institutions, technicians, and so many people whose livelihoods depend on this ecosystem — I feel it is important to share these words from my very first supporter.
Culture is not a luxury. It is a fundamental part of who we are, how we understand one another, and how we preserve our humanity.
Diversity is not a weakness; it is one of our greatest strengths. It allows different voices, traditions, and perspectives to coexist, challenge one another, and enrich our shared world.
Behind every cultural project are people, jobs, years of dedication, and a belief that art can bring us closer together.
Protecting culture means protecting our diversity, our freedom of expression, and our collective future.
These words deserve to be heard — and remembered.
Sean Avram Carpenter
It was for the 100th anniversary of Sir Yehudi Menuhin
———
Ten years ago, at Bozar in Brussels, we celebrated the legendary Sir Yehudi Menuhin, bringing together an extraordinary ensemble of great violinists from different backgrounds and corners of the world, thanks to the wonderful Yehudi Menuhin International Foundation with Marianne Poncelet as Co President.
It was a truly beautiful and peaceful evening, enriched by the presence of remarkable guests who shared a vision of a world worth protecting. A moment of genuine connection, generosity and cultural exchange that has stayed with us ever since.
It was also a powerful reminder of how deeply culture matters to people, especially in the most difficult times. Art can bring lightness to a world that sometimes feels unbearably heavy. It can offer a moment to breathe, to disconnect from our daily struggles, and perhaps, most importantly, to see the world through a different lens.
Culture is not merely a pastime. It is a fundamental part of what makes us human.
When people are never given the opportunity to pause, reflect and reconnect, and when we struggle to secure the future of our iconic cultural institutions — particularly in the capital of Europe — I cannot help but wonder what kind of world we are leaving to future generations.
We are human beings, not machines. We need spaces where we can step away from the noise, rediscover beauty and experience something greater than ourselves.
That evening, musicians from different horizons came together, each bringing their own voice, their own history and their own perspective. They played side by side, without hostility or division, united by a shared language that transcends borders: music.
And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful lessons culture can teach us: we can coexist, respect one another and create something extraordinary together, provided we are willing to listen, to learn and to recognise the humanity in each other.
Ten years later, this message feels more relevant than ever.
Let us continue to protect our cultural institutions, support the artists who keep our world open, and preserve the spaces where future generations can discover not only the beauty of art, but also the beauty of living together.
Because culture is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And sometimes, it is precisely what helps us remember what truly matters. 🎻
With a a beautiful ending composition reuniting all the horizons by Dr. L. Subramaniam
Were also there:
Burhan Öçal Turkish percussionist
Valeriy Sokolov Ukrainian violinist
Étudiant de la Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth et la Yehudi Menuhin School.
International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation
MSH Management
The Violin Channel
The Strad
Gramophone
