somewhere between sound and perception

Black and white portrait of a woman with short, wavy hair and earrings, looking directly at the camera against a dark background.

Belgian pianist Babette Craens is known for her poetic playing, refined touch and sensitivity to colour and nuance.


A laureate of several national competitions, she was awarded Second Prize at the Steinway Competition and made her orchestral debut at the age of seventeen with Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto.

Her repertoire ranges from the classical canon to contemporary music, with a particular focus on French Impressionism and Belgian repertoire. Her interest in sound, colour and imagination leads her to collaborate with living composers, explore lesser-known works and discover the possibilities of historical instruments.

Her concert programs often bring familiar repertoire into dialogue with rediscovered works and new music.

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“A poetic nature with a fine-tuned sensibility for nuance”
— Opus Klassiek
“An incredible mastery of jeu perlé!”
— Sorodha review
“Babette stands out not only for her solid and precise technique, but also for her colorful piano playing.
In addition, she possesses the unique ability to deeply understand any musical style and convey it to her listeners in a compelling way. She has a wonderful way of inspiring both her colleagues and the audience, making her performances a delight for both the ears and the eyes.”
— Eliane Rodrigues

Current programs

LE FAUX MIROIR

Close-up black-and-white photograph of a coiled wire with parallel lines and a reflective surface.

Le Faux Miroir — a 60-minute solo piano program

exploring perception and illusion through Debussy, Ravel, Durlet and contemporary music.

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Femmes de légende

Femmes de Légende — an artistic research project exploring the remarkable role of female concertpianists in the French and Belgian musical landscape at the turn of the twentieth century.

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histoire perdue

Histoire Perdue — an exploration of French and Belgian musical heritage through forgotten repertoire from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and contemporary compositions.

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Recent higlights

  • Le Faux Miroir was met with standing ovations for the Emmanuel Durlet Fonds and Love2Arts Gallery (May & June 2026)

  • Lacunes was featured three times as Klara’s Choice on Klara Radio

  • Museum Vleeshuis recording project featuring pianoworks by Belgian composer Paul Gilson