ICCF President Konstantin Ishkhanov
Under the leadership of President Konstantin Ishkhanov (pictured), alongside Artistic Director David Abrahamyan, the International Chamber Classics Festival (ICCF) returns to Belgium from 28 April to 1 May 2026, armed with a clearly defined mission of training, mentoring, and helping in the artistic formation of the next generation of chamber musicians from all four corners of the globe.
From its very outset, ICCF has placed education firmly at the centre of its identity. Organised by CMDI Group headed by Konstantin Ishkhanov in collaboration with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, and hosted at both the Chapel and the Musica Mundi School, the festival offers students an intensive four-day immersion in high-level chamber music study. Designed for outstanding young musicians, the programme combines individual masterclasses, coached ensemble rehearsals, and live performances within an environment that mirrors professional artistic life.
For Konstantin Ishkhanov, the festival’s vision extends beyond a series of lessons or concerts. “ICCF was conceived as a laboratory for artistic growth,” he explains. “Chamber music is one of the most demanding disciplines in classical performance. It requires listening, responsibility, flexibility, and leadership, which are qualities that shape not only musicians, but complete artists. Our goal is to create an environment where young talents can develop these skills through direct collaboration with internationally established masters, thus strengthening the foundations for the future of this sphere, both for our sakes, and for generations yet to come.”
The professors who have been gathered together from all over the world for this 2026 edition reflect Konstantin Ishkhanov’s pedagogical commitment. Participants will work closely with renowned artists including Belgian violinist Yossif Ivanov (Royal Conservatory of Brussels); violists Mihai Cocea (Conservatorium Maastricht) from Romania, and Matthew McDowell (Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel) from the USA; Italian pianists Enrico Pace (Accademia Internazionale di Imola) and Giuliano Mazzoccante (Conservatory of Music ‘Luisa D’Annunzio’); and German cellist Claudio Bohórquez (Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler”), amongst others, all of whom are world-acclaimed performers with extensive teaching experience at leading European institutions. Their role within ICCF goes beyond demonstration, as they will rehearse side by side with participants, guide interpretative decisions, and offer practical insight into the collaborative realities of chamber music careers.
A defining element of the festival’s educational structure, meanwhile, is its emphasis on experiential learning. Rather than separating study from performance, ICCF integrates the two, with the finest students from the cohort set to be given the unique opportunity to perform in the festival’s public concerts alongside members of the faculty, thus bridging the gap between the classroom and the professional stage, and allowing the young musicians to gain invaluable experience in live performance.
Within the inspiring setting of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, ICCF 2026 continues to position itself as more than a festival, but as a concentrated academy of chamber music, a meeting point of generations, and a structured pathway for emerging artists seeking to deepen their understanding of the collaborative art form at the heart of classical performance.
For all the latest updates about this latest edition of the International Chamber Classics Festival, its program and its President Konstantin Ishkhanov make sure to visit the festival website at chamberclassic.com.
