The city of Bruges joined the Flanders Festival in 1960. In the early years, the emphasis was mainly on the biennial exhibitions of Flemish Primitives in European possession. Gradually, the idea grew, given the evolution of the Flanders Festival in almost exclusively a musical direction, to organize a musical part in Bruges as well. To achieve this, a non-profit organization was founded in 1962. Mayor Pierre Venamme and two aldermen were among the founders on behalf of the city, together with persons who mainly belonged to the music sector (Kamiel D'Hooghe, Jan Briers, Robrecht Dewitte, Herman Sabbe, Canon Paul François, Raymond Van Wassenhove). In 1963, 'Organ Days' were organized. The first official festival took place in 1964.
From that year and until 2004, the festival was led by co-founder and driving force Robrecht Dewitte.
The organizer called on specialists who, with their knowledge of the evolution in music performance, were of good advice. Among them are: Gustav Leonhardt, Kamiel D'Hooghe, prof. Marcel Boereboom, prof. Jozef Robijns, Pieter Enriessen and Johan Huys.
The management tasks were taken over after 2004 as follows:
• 2004-2005: Bart Demuyt;
• 2005-2007: Stefan Dewitte;
• 2007-2009: Tomas Bisschop and Hendrik Storme;
• 2009-2019: Tomas Bisschop;
The current directors are Tomas Bisschop (artistic director) and Goedele Bartholomeeusen (business director).
From the start they wanted to show the highlights from the city's past and provide a meeting place for specialists, performers, instrument makers, educators, students, and music lovers.
The path had been prepared for this by Safford Cape, who had set the tone for its summer courses with Pro Musica Antiqua since 1961 in Bruges. From 1964 the organization of competitions was worked out in concrete terms within regularly successive three-yearly cycles. Immediately, the emphasis was also placed on these competitions, as the main opportunity to support the vibrancy and image of the festival and to introduce the ideas that the organizers were propagating to the younger generations.
Music making has been complemented by exhibitions and fairs, interpretation courses and master classes, forums, lectures, and guided visits to historic instruments in Flanders. Concert performances are focused on lesser-known music until about 1800.
Ever since the first edition of this prestigious international competition, the MA Competition has established itself as a unique platform for training and professional integration and encounter of young promising talent. It actively supports the artistic process and some important values including equality, diversity and inclusion.
The MA Competition first took place in 1964 with a triennial competition for organ, followed in 1965 by a triennial competition for harpsichord and basso continuo and from 1983 also for pianoforte. In 1972 the competition was extended to include the recorder and the competition for ensembles was also started (which coincided with the organ competition from 2000). The program for baroque instruments became more and more extensive. Completed the list: traverso, baroque oboe, lute, cornetto, baroque violin and cello, viola de gamba ... Since 1984, singing has also been featured.
Due to the corona pandemic in 2020, the MA Competition did not take place for the first time since 1969. Thanks to a quick and efficient overhaul of the organization, the rest of the programming could continue online. Partly due to this crisis, in 2021 the organization of the festival was adapted to the situation and the first round of the competition takes place digitally. Starting this year, the competition will be a biennial event, alternating between keyboard instruments (harpsichord and pianoforte) and melodic instruments (traverso, recorder, baroque oboe, baroque violin, baroque cello and viola da gamba).
Since 2008, the winner of the first prize will, in addition to a cash prize, win the chance to be invited to a series of concerts taking place in Belgium and abroad, including a guaranteed place in the next edition of the MA Competition. In addition, since 2013, one of the candidates has the opportunity to record a CD with the internationally renowned Ricercar label.
International competition for organ and since 2000 for early music ensembles as well
laureates duo's: 1st prize: Antonio Galanti and Enrea Vannucchi (Italy) and Annette Richards (Britain) and David Yearsley (USA) - 2nd prize: Hadrien Jourdan (Switzerland) and Jean-Christophe Leclère (France) - 3rd prize: Christophe Körber and Christian Richter (Germany)
laureates organ: 1st prize: Tobias Lindner (Germany) - 2nd prize: Frédéric Champion (France) and Erich Michael Türk (Roemenië) - 3rd prize: Hye-Sun Park (South-Korea) and Christian Schmitt (Germany)
laureates ensembles: 1st prize: La Trulla de Bozes (Spain) - 2nd prize: La Calendola and La Fontaine Tokyo (Japan) - 3rd prize: Les Cornets Noirs (Germany)
2003
Jury organ: Johannes Geffert, Johan Huys, Enrea Marcon, Joris Verdin, David Yearsley
laureates: 1st prize: Scott Ross (USA), 2nd prize: John Whitelaw (Canada), 3rd prize: Christopher Farr (Britain), 5th prize: Alexander Sung (Hong Kong)
laureates basso continuo: 2nd prize: Christopher Farr (Britain)
Jury harpsichord: Blenine Rannou, Ketil Haugsen, Johan Huys, Gustav Leonhardt, Davitt Moroney, Ludger Rémy
Jury pianoforte: Wolfgang Brunner, Johan Huys, Linda Nicholson, Alexei Lubimov, Ludger Rémy, Bart van Oort
number of candidates harpsichord and pianoforte: 137
laureates harpsichord: 1st prize: Benjamin Alard (France) - 2nd prize: Maria Uspenskaya (Russia) - 3rd prize: Adam Pearl (USA) and Mikhail Yardzhembovskiy (Russia)
laureates pianoforte: 2nd prize: Keiko Schich ijo (Japan) - 3rd prize: Maria Uspenskaya (Russia) and Irina Zahharenkova (Estonia) - 4th prize: Nicoleta Ion (Roemenië)
2007
Jury harpsichord: Ketil Haugsen, Johan Huys, Françoise Lengellé, Gustav Leonhardt, Davitt Moroney
number of candidates: harpsichord 74 - pianoforte: 26
laureates harpsichord: Second prize: Kazuya Gunji (Japan) and Maxim Emelyanychev (Russia) - Third prize: Paolo Zanzu (Italy) and Stanislav Gres (Russia)
laureates pianoforte: First prize: Petra Somlai (Hungary) - Second prize: Olga Pashchenko (Russia) - Third prize: Ksenia Semënova (Russia) - Finalist: Anthony Romaniuk (USA)
laureates: 1st prize / Award of the province West-Flanders: Elizaveta Miller (RU) - 2nd prize: Gili Loftus (CA/IL) - 3rd prize: Miho Haga (JP) - Outhere award: Bobby Mitchell - Award of the public: Gili Loftus (CA/IL)
Jury harpsichord: Johan Huys, Carole Cerasi, Andrea Marcon, Olga Martynova, Skip Sempé, Menno van Delft
number of candidates: 77
laureates: 1st prize: Andrea Buccarella (Italy) - 2nd prize: Alexander von HeiBen (Germany) - 3rd prize: Anastasia Antonova (Russia) and Cristiano Gaudio (Italy) Award of the public: Rossella Policardo (Italy)
2019
Jury pianoforte: Johan Huys, Wolfgang Brunner, Piet Kuyken, Bart van Oort, Christine Schornsheim, Keiko Schichijo
laureates: 1st prize: Aurelia Visovan (Romania) - 2nd prize: Dmitry Ablogin (Russia) - 3rd prize: Emil Duncumb (No/Uk/Hr) Honorable mention: Ekaterina Polyakova (Russia) Honorable mention: Tzu Yu Yang (Taiwan) Award of the public: Dmitry Ablogin (Russia)
laureates: categorie I: 2nd prize: Duo J. Cohan-St. Stubbs (USA) - categorie II: 3rd prize: Collegium Musicum Budapest (Hungary) and Les Ennemis Confus (Belgium)
number of candidates: vocals: 9 - Baroque cello: 2 - Baroque oboe: 1 - Baroque traverso: 10 - Baroque violin: 2 - Recorder: 28 - Viola da gamba: 1 -
number of candidates ensembles: 10
laureates soli: 2nd prize: traverso: T. Ogawa (Japan) – Three Belgians received an honorable mention: Marcel Ponseele (baroque oboe), Philippe Pierlot (gamba) and G. Hulsens (recorder).
laureates: soli: 2nd prize: recorder: Aldo Abreu (Venezuela) and J. Tol (Netherlands)- lute: Robert Barto (USA) - 3rd prize: baroque vocals: D. Minster (USA) - baroque violin: M. Utiger (USA)
laureates ensembles: 1st prize: Lous Lenes Consort (France) - 2nd prize: Fontana Musicale Wien (Austria)
laureates: traverso: 1st prize: Kate Clark (Australia) - vocals: 2nd prize: Elisabeth Scholl (Germany) - recorder: 3rd prize: Michaël Form (Germany) - baroque violin: 3rd prize: Hélène Schmitt (France) - vocals: 4th prize: Chinatsu Kijima (Japan) - baroque oboe: 4th prize: Ann Van Lancker (Belgium)
laureates ensembles: 1st prize: Trio Van Beethoven (Japan) - 2nd prize: Flûte Harmonique (Germany) - 3rd prize: Les agréments (Canada) - 4th prize: Les Hauts et les Bas (Switzerland)
The festival annually programs a number of concerts, master classes and workshops on early music. Usually, the events are concentrated around a specific theme. In addition to a few major concerts as well as the afternoon concerts that have been taking place in the Concertgebouw since 2002, most evening concerts and nocturnes are held in churches such as the Saint James Church, Saint Gilles Church, Carmelite Church, Saint Anne Church and Saint Walburga Church, as well as in other historical locations in Bruges (Stadsschouwburg or town hall) and in the vicinity of Bruges (Ter Doest's barn and Lissewege church, for example). The locations are chosen in function of the acoustics of the room and the spirit of the time of the music to be performed.
During the festival there will also be an exhibition in the halls of the Bruges belfry about historical instruments and a fair of new instruments for sale. Especially the triennial harpsichord and pianoforte expo enjoys world fame.
In 2013, MA Festival was enriched with the new concept VéloBaroque, combining a series of concerts with a bicycle tour through the Bruges countryside. Since then it has been organized every year. Only in 2020 this could not take place due to the corona crisis.