Year after year, MA Festival remains a cherished tradition for early music enthusiasts. What once started as a personal discovery has blossomed into an enduring musical legacy full of unforgettable moments.
It was sometime toward the end of the last century that I, as a young lad, first attended Musica Antiqua Brugge with my parents. I still vividly remember the thundering trombones of the Gabrieli Consort, during a reconstruction of a mass for the Doge of Venice. From that concert on, I was hooked for years. The annual pilgrimage to Bruges never failed to deliver unforgettable musical moments.
And now, more than thirty years later, MA Festival stands as strong as ever. While everything looks considerably more modern—think of the website, for instance—the spirit of early music remains firmly intact, with the occasional venture into the classical repertoire. Well, you can't stand still without falling behind, can you?
The festival kicks off on Friday, July 31st with two events. Which is, by the way, typically the pleasant rhythm: two concerts per day, sometimes three. Perfect for spending a full day in this beautiful city. On day one you can enjoy a carillon concert: a more fitting opener, carried by this impressive bell tower, is almost unthinkable. Those who prefer to delve into Mozart can head to the Davidsfonds lectures. And for those eager to immerse themselves in Baroque sounds right away, the outstanding ensemble Pomo d'Oro is ready.
What makes that evening particularly special is the new composition Younger than Jesus by Siebe Thijs, one of the selected young composers from the SOV Composers' Academy 2024–2025. Little has been written about this work so far, so it's quite possible we'll explore it in greater depth in a future article.
The subsequent evening concerts are equally filled with names that ring true. Jiaxin Min brings Couperin and Byrd back to life on the piano in surprising ways. The sublime Vox Luminis presents a program of Bach motets—pure listening pleasure guaranteed. There's also a moment of stillness with a premiere in which poet Peter Verhelst and lutenist and Jurgen De Bruyn engage in dialogue with one another.
Another special program is I Have Been Her Kindaround the voice of the outcast woman, performed by ensemble Postscript and soprano Elisabeth Hetherington. The following evening it's the turn of InAlto with Memoriamor, a program featuring music by Crécquillon and others, centered on the question of how a lost love can be remembered. Finally, there's the closing evening concert in which Le Consort according to the program "knocks your socks off" with music by Vivaldi.
Of course, that's far from all. The festival also offers numerous morning and afternoon concerts featuring, among others, The BanXhies, harpist Kibildis, Pseudonym, Thomas Langlois, Phaedrus, Cairn Consortand harpsichordist Jean Rondeau. The latter also sits on the jury of the (semi) finals of the harpsichord competition, about which you can read more elsewhere on this site .
Last but not least, the program would be incomplete without mentioning the lectures, the children's musical theater and the Vélobaroque Bike Ride.
This year I won't be treated to those glorious Gabrieli trumpet fanfares in person, but there are more than enough reasons to return for a few musically enriching days in Bruges. Make sure to secure your tickets in time!
