international programme FAMILY me inte m rn CONCERT ra a g ti o o r n p SHOW a 2019 l l a p n r o OPERA o i g t 2020 r a a n m r e m t n i e THEATRE CIRCUS LITERATURE CLASSICAL MUSIC 250 years of Beethoven! Beethoven and his idols Borggreve © Marco Le Concert Olympique and Mariam Batshasvili (piano) Enjoy Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 alongside compositions by two of his idols: Mozart (Piano concerto No. 20) and Cherubini (Ouverture of Faniska). Thu 26 Sep 2019, 20h LUCA Campus Lemmens / € 30 – 24 © Victor Toussaint © Victor Scottish Songs Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor) and A nocte temporis Folk songs are an important part of Beethoven’s repertoire: he arranged 160 traditional melodies, mainly Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English songs. This programme also includes the song cycle An die ferne Geliebte and Weber’s Scottish Songs. Sat 18 Apr 2020, 20h / Irish College Chapel / € 20 Beethoven: unfinished? Borggreve © Marco Le Concert Olympique The unfinished Tenth Symphony gets a contemporary translation by composer Jens Joneleit. The orchestra will also play Schubert’s (equally unfinished) Symphony No. 8, in combination with Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Thu 23 Apr 2020, 20h / LUCA Campus Lemmens € 30 – 24 2 CLASSICAL MUSIC Orchestras & exceptional soloists © BELUGA Bach & Berio – Free Solo Roel Dieltiens (cello) and New European Ensemble Roel Dieltiens will perform another tour de force by playing the entire cycle of Bach’s Cello Suites in a single day, honouring the essence of this pure and intense music. Berio’s impressive Sequenze will be performed by the finest soloists of the New European Ensemble. Sun 13 Oct 2019, 10h + 14.30h + 19h / 30CC/Schouwburg € 20 (1 concert) - € 45 (3 concerts) - € 15 (lunch) Flemish Flavors den Brandt © Sam Van Ataneres Ensemble This young and energetic string orchestra will perform melodious film music by Flemish composers. The music gets the leading part, while the accompanying footage helps to create an atmosphere in the background. Thu 17 Oct 2019, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 16 - 14 - 11 © Claudia Briffeuil © Claudia Misa Tango Astoria & The New Baroque Time Voices In his Misa Tango, Argentine composer Martín Palmeri mixes elements from the traditional Latin mass with the heart and soul of tango! This magnificent mass is combined with some of the best tango pieces by his famous compatriot, Astor Piazzolla. Thu 21 Nov 2019, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 20 – 18 minimal Music, maximal Beauty © Jelmer de Haas Julien Libeer (piano), Lorenzo Gatto (violin) and Young Belgian Strings Star violinist Lorenzo Gatto, piano virtuoso Julien Libeer and Young Belgian Strings perform (post)minimal music composed by Glass, Nyman, Frahm, Richter and Pärt. Simplicity in music is a source of happiness. Sat 7 Mar 2020, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 25 – 23 3 CLASSICAL MUSIC Piano delights © Ernest Smeets © Ernest The Sound of Piano A piano celebration, in anticipation of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2020. The day programme features concerts by Eliane Rodrigues, Bram De Looze, Brecht Valckenaers, Piet Swerts, Pieter de Graaf, Shida Shahabi, David Poltrock and others. In the evening, top pianist Wim Mertens will round up the festival, presenting his brand new album. Sun 6 Oct 2019, 11h (start day programme) 30CC/Schouwburg, CERA & Town Hall / € 25 20h (Wim Mertens) / 30CC/Schouwburg € 30 - 24 - 15 Katia and Marielle Labèque Nicoletti © Umberto and the Belgian National Orchestra Flamboyant piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque will play Mozart’s vibrant Piano Concerto No. 10 for two pianos and orchestra. After the interval, you will hear the Orchestra play the fiery Second Symphony by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Thu 16 Jan 2020, 20h / LUCA Campus Lemmens € 25 – 23 © CMIREB Laureates Piano Concert In 2020, the Queen Elisabeth Competition is aimed at the most talented pianists who are ready to begin an international career. The first three laureates will play live and without competitive stress, accompanied by the Belgian National Orchestra. Wed 10 Jun 2020, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg € 30 - 24 - 15 4 CLASSICAL MUSIC Chamber music and small ensembles Spiritual Lab © Hans Morren Goeyvaerts String Trio and Zsuzsi Tóth (soprano) With top soprano Zsuzsi Tóth, this impressive trio brings a new, daring musical confrontation between medieval composer Hildegard of Bingen and 20th-century composer Giacinto Scelsi. Wed 13 Nov 2019, 20h / 30CC/Predikherenkerk / € 16 © Pieter-Jan De Pue © Pieter-Jan Origins Toon Fret (flute) and Veronika Iltchenko (piano) These exceptional soloists form an ideal duo. Their new cd contains creations by composers from the interwar period with a distinct musical voice and inspired by national music traditions. Sun 1 Dec 2019, 11h / 30CC/Wagehuys / € 12 A Call to Prayer © Marisa Vranjes Ghalia Benali (vocals), Romina Lischka (viol) and Vincent Noiret (bass) Austrian viol player Romina Lischka and Arab singer Ghalia Benali share a passion for French baroque music by Marin Marais. In this programme, Marais’ impressionist creations go hand in hand with Indian ragas and Arab melodies. Sun 23 Feb 2020, 11h / 30CC/Predikherenkerk / € 12 © Luc Daelemans © Luc Le Bestiaire Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble Inspired by Le Bestiaire, an iconic album of witty animal poems, Piet Swerts composed a refreshing chamber music piece. This new piece themes up perfectly with The Carnival of the Animals, the humorous suite composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1866. Sun 8 Mar 2020, 11h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 12 On roses Ensemble Bread and Roses For centuries, the rose has been the favourite flower of gods, saints, artists, alchemists, socialists, esoteric societies, lovers ... © Winand Eerens This anthology is sung and played in the wonderful setting of the orangery of Leuven’s botanical garden. Wed 3 Jun 2020, 20h / Botanical Garden / € 18 5 CLASSICAL MUSIC Great voices Dumesny, le haute-contre de Lully der Ven © Senne Van Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor) and A nocte temporis The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice. In 17th and 18th-century France, these voices sang the lead parts in operas. The programme includes the most beautiful arias and instrumental music written by Jean-Baptiste Lully and his contemporaries. Wed 20 Nov 2019, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 20 - 18 © Wouter Van Vaerenbergh Van © Wouter Seven Angels Flemish Radio Choir James MacMillan is one of the most successful contemporary composers. It is a delight to see him conduct his own work, in an exceptional project focused on faith and religion. Fri 29 Nov 2019, 20h / 30CC/Predikherenkerk / € 16 Nordland © Anders Karlskas Vocal Art Allow yourself to be carried away by the rich vocal beauty and powerful Scandinavian song culture. The intimate setting with five singers and a subtle trumpet guarantees pure delight from the frozen North. Wed 22 Jan 2020, 20h / 30CC/Predikherenkerk / € 16 Messiah Fred Brouwers, La Furia & Frascati Chamber Orchestra Handel’s oratorio Messiah is based on Biblical texts and consists of three parts: the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. In this production, the wonderful arias and choruses are sung in the English version, whereas the recitatives will be half spoken, half sung in Dutch. © Lemmert Photograhpy Wed 8 & Thu 9 Apr 2020, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 25 - 23 6 CLASSICAL MUSIC Voices of Passion 2020 This festival makes polyphonic masterpieces reverberate in harmony with the architecture of the Park Abbey Church and Saint Peter’s Church. We invite (inter)national top ensembles Huelgas Ensemble, Currende Consort, Oltremontano, Cappella Pratensis, Park Collegium and The Tallis Scholars to perform musical gems form the 15th and 16th centuries. Sat 2 May - Sat 9 May 2020 © Damon De Backer timings and venues: www.30CC.be/en/voicesofpassion High Mass BachPlus Ensemble The High Mass (Hohe Messe) is Bach’s monumental testament and an absolute highlight of Western classical music. Bach uses the age-old text of the Latin mass as the basis for an exciting succession of wonderful arias, lively duets and impressive choral parts. Wed 27 May 2020, 20h / Saint Michael’s Church / € 22 © Lieven Gouwy Operetta & Opera © B.O.T. The Merry Widow Brussels Operette Theater Compelling rhythms, effervescent arias and a vibrant story ... Franz Lehár had all the ingredients to compose Die lustige Witwe. This international success has appealed to audiences since its 1905 premiere. Sung in German. Sat 7 Dec 2019, 14.30h + 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 23 - 21 - 16 Opera Melancholica © Henk Bleeker OPERA2DAY & New European Ensemble A horror story by Edgar Allan Poe set to Philip Glass’s minimal music makes you experience fantastic visions and terrifying phantasms. Opera Melancholica will take you on a journey through the darkest corners of the human psyche. Fri 6 Mar 2020, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 32 - 26 - 16 7 MODER N CLASSICAL © John Londoño © Gert Stockmans Focus on modern classical music Jean-Michel Blais (CA), Remy van Kesteren (NL) and Wouter Dewit An evening for fans of music in the style of Nils Frahm, Dustin O’Halloran, Joep Beving and Jóhann Jóhannsson. Canadian composer Jean-Michel Blais © Kaupo Kikkas © Kaupo creates beautiful neoclassical piano music. Dutch harpist and composer Remy van Kesteren explores the limits with his minimalist sounds. And pianist Wouter Dewit will perform a new album with his brand new quartet. Sat 30 Nov 2019, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 18 - 16 Ed Harcourt & Fiona Brice (UK) Raymonde © Abbey Ed Harcourt has a keen outlook on the world that surrounds us. His latest album, Furnaces, confirms the class of this atypical songwriter and multi- instrumentalist. He will be accompanied on stage by classically trained violinist Fiona Brice who has always been attracted to pop and rock music. Wed 5 Feb 2020, 20h / 30CC/Schouwburg / € 19 - 17 © York Christoph Riccius Christoph © York Bach Recomposed: Peter Gregson (UK) + Kjartan Sveinsson (IS), Gyda Valtysdottir (IS), Bert Cools, Indré Jurgelevičiūté (LI) and Shahzad Ismaily (US) Bach’s famous Cello Suites have been set to a modern arrangement by young Scottish composer Peter Gregson.