Quand Paganini rencontre Ysaÿe: the violins of the devils — Grand Curtius, Liège, 16 October 2026 to 7 March 2027

The Grand Curtius, the City of Liège’s museum of decorative arts, glass, weapons and archaeology on the Meuse quays, is holding the international exhibition Quand Paganini rencontre Ysaëe : les violons des diables from 16 October 2026 to 7 March 2027. It follows the inheritance of Niccolò Paganini (Genoa 1782 – Nice 1840) and his influence at the heart of the Liège school of the violin.

Through autograph manuscripts, historic instruments, scores, unpublished archives and memorabilia, the exhibition shows how the Genoese master marked several generations of musicians in Liège and in Europe. Among the loans from Italian and Belgian public and private collections are Paganini’s own guitar, autograph manuscripts of major importance, and objects tied to his work as composer, virtuoso and teacher.

The line the exhibition draws runs from Paganini to his only acknowledged pupil, Camillo Sivori, and from Henry Vieuxtemps to Eugène Ysaëe, with François Prume and César Thomson beside them: Liège is one of the brightest centres of that artistic descent. A rare collection of fourteen historic bows of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is shown as well, signed among others by Pierre Tourte, François-Xavier Tourte, Léonard Tourte, John Dodd, Louis-Simon Pajeot, François-Jude Gaulard and Nicolas-Joseph Harmand — the innovations that made modern virtuosity possible and that keep the dialogue between instrument, player and new music alive. Historic and contemporary instruments, from the Liège international string quartet competition, the Cordoneum school and museum of violin making, the Musée Grétry and private collections, underline the part played by violin making in the history of European music.

The exhibition is organised at the Grand Curtius under the auspices of the City of Liège, a UNESCO Creative City of Music and a member of the European Paganini Route, one of the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes. The curator is Patrick Dheur.

Programme

• 19–23 October 2026 — workshop Dans les pas de Paganini, Grand Curtius
• 31 October 2026 — La Parade des Diables and the Nuit Paganini, Grand Curtius
• 8 November 2026 — children’s visit Paganini et Ysaëe, Grand Curtius
• 21 November 2026 — piano recital Souvenir de Paganini, Chopin and Scarlatti with Giulio Ginobi, Musée de La Boverie
• 5 December 2026 — concert around Paganini’s manuscripts, Grand Curtius
• 12 December 2026 — lecture by Danilo Prefumo, L’influence de l’école française sur Paganini, Grand Curtius
• 15 January 2027 — concert, Paganini Ensemble Vienna, Grand Auditoire Montefiore
• 30 January 2027 — concert Paganini Inspiration, Grand Curtius
• 13 February 2027 — lecture by Jérôme Akoka, De Tourte à Paganini : l’âge d’or de l’archet, Grand Curtius
• 20 February 2027 — Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, L’âme musicale liégeoise, Grand Auditoire Montefiore
• 6 March 2027 — closing lecture by Marie Cornaz, Eugène Ysaëe inspiré par Paganini, Grand Curtius

Practical details

• When: 16 October 2026 – 7 March 2027, Monday to Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm; closed on Tuesdays and on 1 and 2 November, 11 November, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May
• Where: Musée Grand Curtius, Féronstrée 136, 4000 Liège, Belgium. The programme also runs at the auditorium of the Musée de La Boverie, Parc de La Boverie 3, 4020 Liège, and at the Grand Auditoire Montefiore, rue Saint-Gilles 33, 4000 Liège
• Admission: adults 10 euros, groups 8 euros, seniors 6 euros, Article 27 1.25 euros; free for under-26s, teachers and MuseumPassMusée holders, and for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The ticket covers the exhibition and the museum’s permanent collections. Online booking is advised but not required
• Organiser: Grand Curtius, Ville de Liège — +32 (0)4 221 68 17, infograndcurtius@liege.be

Full details, the concert and lecture programme and online booking are on the museum’s own page. Cultural Heritage Online lists this exhibition for readers planning a visit to Liège; admission is handled directly by the museum.