Twenty-five years ago, Bart Van Reyn stood in front of a handful of young singers. What began as a small choir project grew into Octopus, one of Flanders' most influential vocal ensembles.
Under his direction, the choir developed a distinctive sound and its own identity, in which precision, commitment, and humanity go hand in hand. Today, Van Reyn is not only the artistic director of Octopus, but also chief conductor of the Flemish Radio Choir. In this interview with Klassiek Centraal, he talks about how he builds bridges between tradition and innovation, between notes and humanity, between idea and execution.
Conducting as Listening and Breathing
For Van Reyn, conducting is far more than keeping time. It's a constant balancing act between communicating, listening, and structuring. "It starts with understanding the composer's idea at home, forming a mental image of how each note should sound. Then you go to a choir or orchestra as a kind of advocate for the composer. The real work only begins when you listen to what comes back. It's a dance between utopia and reality that you're constantly caught up in: you have an idea of how it should sound, but at the same time you have to be willing to depart from the ensemble's natural sound." "In my early years, I was almost constantly unfaithful to my own schedule, which got me into trouble. Now I know exactly how much time a group needs to sound concert-ready."
"You have an idea of how it should sound, but at the same time you have to dare to depart from the ensemble's sound. And then there's the enemy: time. Good time management is vital. After a number of years, you learn to feel when you can push through, when detail work is needed, and when letting go is the right move." He has learned to alternate between pushing through and working on details while still rehearsing all the sections he planned: "That's a dance with time in which feeling and experience are crucial." Breathing together, including with orchestras, forms the foundation for one unified sound. Silence and emptiness must be conducted; sometimes even the audience. "You conduct the audience along, between movements or at the end of a work. The conductor becomes a director of time and silence."
Commitment cannot be rehearsed. "Most rehearsal time goes into precision: rhythm, intonation, text, articulation, balance, rhetoric... Only when that's at the right level does commitment come. And that's hard to fake: you can feel immediately in a concert when an ensemble is really throwing itself into it. Then you let the precision go a bit and get swept up in the inspiration of the moment. It's the moment when, as a conductor, you also explore uncharted territory together with the performers and audience." Physical presence, breath, gesture, and posture also affect the sound. "It's metaphysical. Body language plays a major role, and it's also a mind game. I've seen in masterclasses how the same orchestra sounds completely different under different conductors."
Voice and Language as Connection
For Van Reyn, language is just as important as sound. "I pay a lot of attention to the color of the language and perfect pronunciation. This creates homogeneity and crystal-clear communication with the audience. It's essential that singers are fully immersed in what they're singing. After all, the composer of a text once started with a blank page too." The moment when a choir truly sings together, you recognize it by small gestures: eye contact between singers, a smile. Only then do singers really listen, independent of the score. Moreover, singing is a vulnerable profession. "Singing is physically more demanding than, say, playing a string instrument. Constructive criticism hits harder with someone who is the instrument themselves. At the same time, the human voice is the most beautiful instrument; you can see that in how popular vocal music is with audiences. That makes vocal music so connective and irreplaceable, especially in a time that's becoming increasingly digital." "Vocal music is par excellence what you want to experience live: opera, oratorio, Christmas concerts—all moments of connection that AI can never replicate." Van Reyn believes in humanity in leadership. "The era of authoritarian conductors is behind us. I see myself as a primus inter pares: I take the lead, but there's always room for questions and suggestions. You build natural leadership with a group you work with longer; with new ensembles you start, and I find that fascinating too, with a blank slate."
Historical Practices and Contemporary Context
Van Reyn likes to start from the color palette of a composer's instruments and enjoys working with period orchestras. "But we perform in modern halls, often much larger than before, for an audience today that doesn't want to sit through three-hour concerts in which only excerpts of works are performed. Informed yes, dogmatic no. The goal is always to serve the composer, not to follow strict historical rules." "The only 'correct' way to sing Bach isn't necessarily with boy sopranos; we've moved past that stage. The context determines how we can best present the work."
Van Reyn likes to start from the color palette of a composer's instrumental toolkit and enjoys working with period orchestras. "But we perform in modern concert halls, often much larger than in the past, for today's audience who aren't expecting three-hour concerts featuring only excerpts from works. Informed yes, dogmatic no. The goal is always to serve the composer, not to follow strict historical rules." "There's no single 'correct' way to sing Bach necessarily with boys' voices as sopranos; we've moved past that stage. Context determines how we can best present the work."
Octopus: an idea that endures
The early days of Octopus are still crystal clear in Van Reyn's memory. "Thrilling, and I wanted everything right away. We had those eight singers perform Bruckner's 'Christus factus est' immediately, because I was absolutely mad about it." The choir grew rapidly: from eight to twelve, sixteen, and by 2002 to 26 singers. "When a couple of singers weren't available, we had to rehearse 'headless.' That's when I realized: quality comes from quantity. That's how Octopus steadily grew."
"The real turning point came in 2010: four performances of Beethoven's 9th with Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, followed by James MacMillan's St John Passion. Compliments from a world-renowned composer confirmed we were on the right track. We had to start speaking of a Chamber Choir and Symphonic Choir, a major quality choir that could share stages with all the great symphonic orchestras. In the years that followed, unforgettable moments such as at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Mahler's Second with Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer made this symphonic choir story truly special."
Today Octopus has 200 singers, selected per project, with 327 concerts and 183 programs under its belt. "In 2013 we unexpectedly received 4 years of funding and professionalized especially the Chamber Choir. Our a cappella CD Birds of Paradise was internationally acclaimed." Octopus is more than a choir: "It's an idea that hundreds of singers have contributed to. People come and go, the idea remains. The sound is independent of individuals; the choir always sounds similar, even though the group is composed differently each time. The loss of three singers brought us closer together, especially when we paid them our final respects together with music." The values remain unchanged: integrity in auditions, balance between experience and young voices, a repertoire featuring Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Händel, Haydn, Mozart and Mahler. Van Reyn's ultimate dream: Mahler's 8th in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, "with Octopus singers filling both sides next to the organ."
A quarter-century of breath and devotion
After 25 years, it's clear with Bart Van Reyn that conducting is not merely an action, but a way of listening, connecting and shaping. Octopus has developed into a sonic world and an idea that transcends individuals: people come and go, the project remains, and the recognizable sound endures. For Van Reyn, it's about the breath that binds the group, the devotion that makes a concert unique, and the human closeness that gives every performance meaning. One word sums it up: devotion.
In every performance, the spirit of Octopus reflects that music connects, inspires, and brings time to a standstill for a brief moment. That may well be the finest result of 25 years of Octopus: a community of voices, an idea that endures, and a future full of possibilities. According to Van Reyn, vocal music remains the ultimate way to experience humanity and connection, especially in this increasingly digital and individualistic world…
