Kevin Houben: "March of the Marmots" (wind quartet)

Houben's engaging piece played here with three pupils all aged thirteen.

Kevin Houben was born in 1977 in Peer, Belgium. Houben discovered his passion for music at a young age, studying piano and trumpet. He obtained a master’s and a teaching degree in trumpet (with Leon Pétré), solfege and chamber music pedagogy (with Leo Ouderits), a master’s in hafabra (Harmony, Fanfare, Brassband – and a master’s in orchestral conducting (with Edmond Saveniers) at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, Belgium. In addition, he trained in composition (with Jan Van der Roost and Luc Van Hove) and obtained a first prize in harmony and polyphony under Jan Hadermann.

Since his graduation, Houben’s music has become a favourite in the repertoires of various orchestras in Europe, America, Australia and Japan.
Houben is also a renowned conductor, having worked with various professional orchestras and ensembles during recordings and at concerts all over the world. At a masterclass in Prague in 2018 he was chosen to conduct the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Since 2020 Houben teaches Orchestration and Instrumentation at LUCA School Of Arts - Campus Lemmens (Belgium) together with Ivan Meylemans.
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With regard to young people (including talented young musicians), what has the UK lost by leaving Erasmus+?

("Erasmus" is an acronym for European Region Action Scheme )

Following Brexit, withdrawing from Erasmus+ has already had negative consequences for students, young professionals, scholars, and universities in the U.K.. The cultural and intellectual consequences of the decision are obvious. Thousands of students can no longer experience other cultures, learn to communicate in other languages, or strengthen their sense of European identity through Erasmus+.
Many Erasmus+ alumni regard the experience as one of the most formative in their lives, having led to career changes, relocation, and even marriages. These opportunities are no longer available to many in the U.K., particularly those that already come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The loss of the program also severs key partnerships between European and British researchers and universities, limiting intellectual collaboration across the channel. The consequences of the decision for career growth also are significant.

According to the latest Erasmus+ annual report, the program has been successful in many ways:

*In 2019 alone, almost 1 million young people participated in the program as students, trainees (largely for vocational training) or volunteered at more than 100,000 organizations.

*Employers regarded Erasmus+ exchange participants as better equipped to enter the workforce.

*Over two-thirds of students report had a better sense of their long-term career goals after profiting from study abroad through Erasmus+.

{recording made with parental consents}