The Seasons – February: Year-long Tchaikovsky series bridging music, poetry and visual art

Contemporary multimedia arts project The Seasons celebrates the month of February with a Tchaikovsky piano performance, original poem and new illustration.

Belgian concert pianist Marie François is the creative spirit behind this artistic experience that marks each month of 2026.

It commemorates the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s 12 piano pieces that were originally performed throughout 1876.

This new version features the composer’s works, performed by François, alongside 12 new poems by four writers and 12 illustrations by Juliane Noll. The Dutch-language poems are spoken by Koen De Bouw and have been translated into English by David Colmer.

The poems and illustrations are published each month in Flemish daily De Standaard, The Bulletin and on radio NPO4 in the Netherlands. A link at the end of this article provides access to the musical recordings.

Read an interview with Marie François here.

12 months, 12 pieces of music, 12 poems

FEBRUARY / Resolution

You’ve made resolutions. Become like this, or not like that, more
of that one thing or sometimes none to break the habit. The spicy snacks,
the smoking, anaesthetising. Finally on time

so you watch units, calories, the hands of the clock, stick it out and cut back,
lose the superfluous — and the enchantment, you pray

and then I show up. A hollow, a pit stop
out of sight of the watchtowers.

Edible things only sprout underground
in me, rain snows down in me,
in me everyone wears a mask

to get back to themselves.

Lize Spit
Translated by David Colmer

Listen to this month's audio recording here