FOR LIFE — DISCOVER SEASON 20-21

In season 20-21 we are wholeheartedly cheerleading for life! For a whole season, we are therefore going to tackle the whole biodiversity issue in a creative and committed way. Dream along of what will hopefully be season 20-21 ... and discover our unpredictably beautiful and (bio)diverse programme in blue!

Enjoying music and dance requires empathy and sympathy, and those who can empathise and sympathise will undoubtedly get along better together.

Jeroen Vanacker

For life!

‘The towering challenges of climate change, environmental pollution and ever-declining biodiversity can’t brushed aside. They scream out for immediate action. And even an art institution has its own particular part to play in this. This season this is exactly what the Concertgebouw once again hopes to facilitate with its rich programme of music, dance and the other arts: and in so doing infuse our broad support base not only with a sense of the urgency of biodiversity issues but also with hope for the future.’

— Jeroen Vanacker, artistic director

For life!

— Jeroen Vanacker, artistic director

A new season in time of corona

We are announcing our new season programme at a time when the world is gradually struggling to its feet after some hellish corona months. So is it now appropriate to now be looking ahead and dreaming of concerts and dance performances? Yes, we think so. On the one hand, we believe that this ‘longing for’ can breathe some fresh life into these otherwise lacklustre days. And on the other hand, we are eager to tell you the full story that so many of our colleagues and partners have been penning for the past two years.

Unfortunately, we cannot yet give you precise dates for the start of ticket sales. As soon as we have a better idea of the measures required to ensure a safe concert and dance experience, we will set a date for the start of ticket sales and inform you on our website.

updates on our website

Three central figures colour this season

Season’s Thinker Hans Van Dyck

Biologist Hans Van Dyck sheds fresh light on multiform life in a series of talks.

Season's Artist Aline Héau

The photos in this brochure were made by French photographer Aline Héau, who focuses on the cyanotype, one of the earliest forms of photography.

Season’s Composer Wim Henderickx

Omnipresent throughout the coming year is Wim Henderickx, who finds inspiration and spiritual strength in nature.

A season that flutters, buzzes and mirrors… and raises awareness

This season we exuberantly celebrate artists’ fascination for nature’s wealth of shape, colour and sound. We have Masterpiece Weeks, for instance, built around Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mahler's Symphony No. 3 and Debussy's La mer. In the series Birdsong we bring together compositions in which that delightful tweeting, trilling and cooing dictates the melodies. The animal kingdom holds up a mirror to us humans because – as our Animal Fable Happening will prove – animals are just like people. And the third edition of Beat it! brings us percussion produced using a wide variety of materials: water, wood, glass, skin, textiles, metal...

Nature is often mankind’s muse. Sadly, she is also often mankind’s victim. Many artists will therefore be sounding a critical note during the coming season. With our Let it bee! Project, a collaboration with the City of Bruges, we – and hopefully you too – will already be doing a little something to improve the lot of bees, those buzzing little engines of biodiversity enrichment.

A wealth of festivals and projects

all festivals

Bruges as our stage

The Concertgebouw ecosystem will again be running at full speed and will casting its gaze far and wide. Thanks to our Dance in Bruges and Jazz Brugge alliances, the city of Bruges is increasingly becoming our stage.

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Bruges and beyond

During the All Arias music theatre festival, we collaborate with cultural partners from Ghent and Antwerp.

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Your favourite festivals

Audience favourites, such as Bach Academy Bruges, December Dance and the Budapest Festival are naturally also a part of the programme.

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Katrien Van Eeckhoutte

‘The Concertgebouw ecosystem isn’t a closed cocoon. Quite the contrary! As an open house, the Concertgebouw eagerly encourages cross-fertilisation with the ecosystems of related partners and with more exotic biotopes.’

Celebrating resident artists

Our resident artists have ample cause to celebrate this year. Lionel Meunier of Vox Luminis is turning 40, and to celebrate that milestone he is bringing us a 40-voice motet! Jos van Immerseel – founder and conductor of Anima Eterna Brugge – will be blowing out 75 candles. But Jos won’t be resting on his laurels: from behind his keyboard, our birthday boy will also be celebrating the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven (see video below for a sneak preview). Rosas bring us a repertory evening, featuring live music by the Brussels Philharmonic and Ictus. Nadar Ensemble treat us to a world premiere. And ECCE bring dance closer to us than ever.

meet our resident artists