In Foe, Kristien De Proost, Görges Ocloo, Josse De Pauw and Rinus Martha Chaerle engage with J.M. Coetzee's novella of the same name, in which the well-known story of Robinson Crusoe is told from a different perspective. A performance about the right to speak, the importance of imagination and the need to transcend the islands in our thinking and actions. Kristien De Proost reworks the novel of the same name by South African author J.M. Coetzee into an intimate musical theatre performance, Görges Ocloo composes the music. 

Toneelhuis - Antwerpen (BE)

CC 't Waaigat

Cultuurcentrum Brugge

Bijloke Wonderland - LOD studio

Cultural center Strombeek Grimbergen

CC Het Spoor

Het Perron Cultural Center

CC De Plomblom

Cultural center De Warande

CC De Schakel

After The Great Downhill Journey of Little Tommy and The only way is UP, Boris Van Severen and Jonas Vermeulen are getting back together for their third concert theatre production. This time, it will be a chronicle inspired by social issues, exploring the fascinating yet challenging relationship between humans and technology, as well as between creators and their creations.  

Opus Apparatus

Campo, Gents

Compagnie Cecilia

With the evocative Night on Bald Mountain, Modest Mussorgsky transports us to a eerie witches' gathering, immersed in Russian folklore. This symphonic poem, rich in imagination, has been widely used in film and TV soundtracks. Renowned violinist Christian Tetzlaff then chooses Brahms' Violin Concerto, dedicated to the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim. Tchaikovsky composed his Sixth Symphony just before his death, and one wonders if he sensed its approach; the passionate Adagio sounds like a farewell to life. Today, this epic symphony is celebrated as one of the most poignant and profound pieces in musical history.

Night on Bald Mountain and Christian Tetzlaff

Queen Elisabeth Hall

In 2022, Hayoung Choi convincingly claimed the first prize in the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Cello, swiftly ascending to the grandest stages. During the Elisabeth Week, seize the unique opportunity to witness her artistry up close, alongside leaders of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and musicians from the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. Together, they captivate with Puccini’s poignant Crisantemi and Tchaikovsky's String Sextet in d.

EPSG:4326

Elisabeth Week: chamber music with Hayoung Choi

AMUZ (Festival van Vlaanderen Antwerpen)

Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

One concert, two Queen Elisabeth Competition winners. Many listeners are familiar with Piet Jozef Swerts (winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 1987), who twice composed the required piece for the prestigious competition. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra invited him to create a new symphonic work inspired by Flemish musical heritage. The result is a delightful homage to Josquin Desprez, keeping the music of the Flemish polyphonist alive.

Elisabeth Week: Hayoung Choi performs Lutosławski

Step into the enchanting world of classical music with our exciting new KIDconcert. Composer Fabian Künzli crafted captivating music for a magical tale by Howard Griffiths. This dynamic duo, experienced in delighting children with the symphony's vibrant spectrum, invites young minds on a unique journey. Immerse yourself in the story featuring cat music and a mouse band, as the orchestra, led by a true maestro, brings the magic to life alongside a violin-playing witch. Join us at the Queen Elisabeth Hall for this musical adventure, where brilliant actors on stage will sweep you away. Ready to sing along with the mouse march?

De Orkestmuizen (6+)

Conductor Martyn Brabbins, at home in both symphonic and brass band genres, returns to Antwerp, where he served as the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra's first guest conductor until 2015. Celebrating the Festival Brass Band's 25th anniversary in 2025, the Belgian premiere of Gavin Higgins' vibrant Concerto grosso for brass band and orchestra awaits. Higgins describes it as a 'love letter to the world of brass bands.' Antwerp Symphony Orchestra also explores classical territory with Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations, offering 14 variations portraying friends with a mix of humor and seriousness. Join us for this delightful musical ode to friendship.

Concerto for brass band and orchestra

Have you always wanted to know more about the structure of a symphonic work? There’s only one way to learn, by experiencing it up close. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra introduces you to the stunning music of Mozarts Jupiter Symphony. (in Dutch)

Spotlight: Jupiter Symphony

Beethoven's First Symphony is often termed a 'farewell to the eighteenth century.' Though still classically rooted, it bears the composer's spirited and heroic signature. Paired with the Second Piano Concerto, the symphony bridges into the nineteenth century, where Beethoven fully embraced his romantic musical language. His music is often labeled 'heroic,' inspired by historical and mythological figures of heroism. The Prometheus Overture, depicting the demi-god who stole fire from the gods for humanity, exemplifies this with a triumphant celebration. Experience Beethoven thrice with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and conductor Philippe Herreweghe, an authority in this genre. Dutch pianist Hannes Minnaar, acclaimed for his complete recording of Beethoven's concertos, joins for an exceptional rendition of Beethoven at his finest.

Three times Beethoven with Herreweghe

Musis Sacrum

In the midst of the concert season, Antwerp Symphony presents a Season Event where central themes such as the flow of time and the tension between life and survival are further explored. Music often creates a sense of space, but in fact, it is nothing but time made audible. And if anything can be said about time, it is that it continuously, even mercilessly, ticks away. Yet, music sometimes raises questions about our linear understanding of time. Precisely because music unfolds in time, it possesses the unique ability to manipulate our sense of time. This understanding was well grasped by musical minimalists such as Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and John Adams. Through the obsessive repetition of the same musical motif, paradoxically, their music creates a sense of stillness. The Season Event deepens this musical thought and links it to a universal and yet burning contemporary theme surrounding the limits of human knowledge.

Introductory symposium: The resonance of minimal music

John Adams' opera Doctor Atomic tells the story of the development of the atomic bomb by Robert Oppenheimer. The original opera from 2005 does not so much recount the historical events, but focuses on the motivations and psychology of the involved individuals (Robert Oppenheimer, Kitty Oppenheimer, and a handful of scientists from the Manhattan Project). Additionally, the symphony that Adams composed a few years later based on material from his opera illustrates how unchecked thirst for knowledge can drive humanity to its own destruction. Philip Glass' Icarus at the Edge of Time, on the other hand, tells the story of a boy who travels to a black hole out of insatiable curiosity. Michaël Pas serves as the narrator in a musical story where the mythological figure of Icarus is redefined: his longing for the unattainable does not cause him to fall from the sky, but allows him to experience one of Einstein's greatest insights. Acrobat Robin Witt takes on the role of Icarus, turning this evening into a spectacular event. As a dramatic counterbalance to Adams' Doctor Atomic Symphony, Glass' Icarus at the Edge of Time offers a positive perspective on humanity's drive to test the limits of knowledge and its own impermanence.

Seasonal happening: Icarus at the Edge of Time

A midnight concert featuring the wildly popular work Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi's The Four Seasons brings the Seasonal Happening to a close. With his fresh interpretation of Vivaldi's baroque masterpiece, Richter demonstrates how the interpretation of music is constantly evolving and has nothing to fear from the passage of time.

Midnight Concert: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter

The timeless theme of death and transience has inspired composers throughout history. A narrator guides us through music ranging from Haydn and Verdi to Wagner, Mussorgsky, and Popper. Belgian composer Peeters completes the program with a suite written specifically for the trombone quartet. From hopeful and celestial to dark and ominous, this intimate thematic concert is a poignant reflection on the flow of time.

Chamber music: the flow of time

The name Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment resonates in the classical music world, boasting an illustrious biography filled with unforgettable collaborations with Sir Simon Rattle, Iván Fischer, and our own Philippe Herreweghe. This renowned orchestra excels in 19th-century repertoire. In Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, he thrust open the doors to burgeoning romanticism with grand opening chords, dramatic themes, and deeply personal feelings. The heroic tone continues in his Violin Concerto, with an enchanting second movement shining amidst the drama. Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang, the embodiment of this captivating richness, is the ideal soloist for this starring role.

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Vilde Frang

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a staggering 41 symphonies, marking an extraordinary journey through his works. At the tender age of eight, he crafted his first crystal-clear symphony; the sparkling Jupiter Symphony crowned his symphonic repertoire. A vocal genius like Ludwig Van Beethoven, Mozart, too, sculpts his characters through music, singing all facets of love while the colorful orchestra transitions between emotions. In excellent company, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra joins forces with acclaimed soprano Chen Reiss, a global interpreter of this repertoire, and renowned conductor Ivor Bolton, a prominent guest in the grandest concert halls and opera houses.

Crystal sounds with Mozart and Beethoven

By annual tradition, a few of the musicians of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra participate in the Middagconcerten of Antwerp.

Noon concert at AMUZ

Always wanted to know how Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique came to be? During Spotlight, host Carlo Siau will give you a crash course in symphonic music in conversation with conductors and musicians: the ideal deepening for the music lover!

Spotlight: Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz

At the Club Concerts of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the atmosphere is laid-back. Experience a short program featuring highlights from classical music, such as the marvelous Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. The casual evening is skillfully woven together with top-tier comedy by Bas Birker. Following the concert, head to the atrium for a relaxing afterparty, completing your night full of music and comedy!

Clubconcert with Bas Birker

The trumpet takes centre stage in Gustav Mahler's Blumine, a passionate love serenade initially conceived as a movement from his First Symphony. The trumpet is also featured in Doom Painting, with American composer Nico Muhly seamlessly blending commissions from major orchestras, bridging classical and popular genres. His latest composition promises to be a lyrical and explosive work—a world premiere performed by one of the finest trumpeters of the moment. Tine Thing Helseth captivates with her trumpet, reaching straight to the heart. In Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, passion ignites. Initially described as an autobiographical love story, this symphony takes listeners on a 'fantastic' musical journey, from ballroom to witches' sabbath and scaffold, with original and daring orchestral sounds.

Symphonie Fantastique

Centre for Fine Arts

Music Center De Bijloke

You don't need much imagination to picture the witches' gathering depicted in Modest Mussorgsky's musical rendition in Night on Bald Mountain. It's no surprise this symphonic poem has been featured in numerous films and TV shows! Mussorgsky drew inspiration from Russian folklore for this eerie piece. Likewise, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous Sixth Symphony, composed shortly before his death, is a masterpiece. The passionate Adagio at the symphony's end feels like an emotional farewell to life. Tchaikovsky blends emotion, depth, and ecstasy into one masterful work.

Events in Antwerpen

Foe

LOD muziektheater

Opus Apparatus

LOD muziektheater

Night on Bald Mountain an...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Elisabeth Week: chamber m...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

Elisabeth Week: Hayoung C...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

De Orkestmuizen (6+)

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Concerto for brass band a...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Spotlight: Jupiter Sympho...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Three times Beethoven wit...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Introductory symposium: T...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Seasonal happening: Icaru...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Midnight Concert: Vivaldi...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Chamber music: the flow o...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra of the Age of E...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Crystal sounds with Mozar...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Noon concert at AMUZ

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Spotlight: Symphonie Fant...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Clubconcert with Bas Birk...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Symphonie Fantastique

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Emelyanychev conducts Tch...

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra