Next season, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra chooses 'Body or Soul' as its central theme. The orchestra also welcomes its new chief conductor Elim Chan. During her official inauguration concert on Friday, October 4 in the Koningin Elisabethzaal, she will conduct, among other works, Le Sacre du Printemps by Stravinski. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, together with world star Elīna Garanča, will give the official start of the classical concert season during an elegant opening gala on Thursday, September 19.
Body or Soul
One hundred years ago, in the summer of 1920, during the Olympic Games in Antwerpen, the Olympic wrestling and boxing competitions took place in the Feestzaal of the zoo, the direct predecessor of the present Koningin Elisabethzaal. On the spot where a concert audience is now moved and inspired, sweating bodies fought each other to decide who was the strongest and the best. This jubilee is an ideal occasion to focus on stories or characters in which people make the choice between heaven or earth, between capital or art – between body and soul. Think, for example, of Schumann's Faust-Szenen, which are being brought to the stage in collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Rachmaninov's Third piano concerto, which has so many notes that it was considered unplayable, the ecstatic rhythms surrounding the pagan human sacrifice in Le Sacre du Printemps, and Bach's Matthäus-Passion, in which the sublime and the earthly come together in an unforgettably moving way.
New chief conductor: young, female, international
On Friday, October 4, 2019, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra welcomes its new chief conductor Elim Chan during her official inauguration concert in the Koningin Elisabethzaal. The program includes, among others, Icarus by Auerbach, the First violin concerto by Shostakovich with star violinist Vilde Frang, and Le Sacre du Printemps by Stravinski, one of the most stirring milestones in music history. Already an ambitious program by the successor to Jaap van Zweden and Edo de Waart. In total, Chan will conduct nine concerts as chief conductor in the 2019-2020 season, with top soloists such as Marc-André Hamelin and Frank Peter Zimmermann. Honorary conductor Philippe Herreweghe will conduct five productions in the 2019-2020 season.
Top conductors and soloists
The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, as always, collaborates with renowned conductors and soloists. In the 2019-2020 season, conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Carlo Rizzi and Osmo Vänskä and top soloists such as Elīna Garanča, Vilde Frang, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Marc-André Hamelin, the Jussen brothers and Lukáš Vondráček will be featured. The latter is particularly beloved in Belgium as winner of the Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd.
In addition, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with deSingel, welcomes world-renowned international orchestras to its residence each year. In the 2019-2020 season, the orchestra welcomes, among others, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks with Diana Damrau conducted by Mariss Jansons, the Filarmonica della Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly and the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla is also a guest, in collaboration with the Klarafestival. In this way, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra expands the international symphonic offerings in Antwerpen with a top selection of concerts that are complementary to its own program. And so the Koningin Elisabethzaal is now on the world map as a prestigious concert hall for top-level concert experiences. Thanks to this extensive offering and the convenient accessibility of the concert hall (next to Antwerpen-Centraal station) by public transport, more and more classical music lovers are finding their way to the Koningin Elisabethzaal.
Opening gala with Elīna Garanča
True to tradition, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra opens the classical concert season in style with an opening gala. In 2019, the orchestra rolls out the red carpet for Latvian world star Elīna Garanča. Her beautiful mezzo-soprano is both graceful and powerful and has captivated La Scala and the Wiener Staatsoper before. On Thursday, September 19, 2019, Garanča will perform the most beautiful arias, which will sound in the clear acoustics of the Koningin Elisabethzaal like never before.
Classical for everyone (audience expansion and differentiation)
Film concert: Gladiator
In the 2019-2020 season, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of film concerts. This time the orchestra brings the music to the blockbuster Gladiator live. This historical epic with music by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard won no fewer than five Oscars, including those for best film and best actor. On Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28, 2019 in the Koningin Elisabethzaal.
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra feat. Angélique Kidjo
Beninese superstar Angélique Kidjo will perform work by Philip Glass that was written especially for her, combined with a mix of African music and Western rock 'n soul during a heartwarming symphonic concert. On Friday, December 6, 2019 in Muziekgebouw Frits Philips in Eindhoven, Saturday, December 7, 2019 in the Koningin Elisabethzaal in Antwerpen and Sunday, December 8, 2019 in Paleis voor Schone Kunsten in Brussel.
Theater concert: Tiresias in collaboration with Toneelhuis
For the theater concerts of the 2019-2020 season, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra collaborates with Toneelhuis. Guy Cassiers stages the poem Tiresias by British 'spoken word' poet Kate Tempest, with Katelijne Damen in the leading role. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra will perform Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony live. Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, 2020 in the Koningin Elisabethzaal.
After work: Club Concerts
The Club Concerts of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra start at 21:00 and offer the ideal opportunity for young professionals to end the working day in a relaxed way. After the performance, you can enjoy a loungy afterparty with a DJ and drinks. With MC Charlotte Vandermeersch on Thursday 21 November 2019 and MC Bent Van Looy on Thursday 20 February 2020 in the Koningin Elisabethzaal.
The Whisky Tour - Masterworks by Luc Brewaeys
Between 17 and 22 November 2019, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, together with deSingel, ChampdAction, HERMESensemble, I SOLISTI, the Peter Benoit Fonds and the Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen, will pay tribute to the internationally renowned Flemish composer Luc Brewaeys, who died in 2015. On various stages in Antwerp, his 'whisky' works will be performed, each named after a famous Scottish single malt. At Antwerp Central Station, the work Talisker will be performed, which was first performed for a massive audience during the festive opening of Antwerp '93. Cultural Capital of Europe. In addition, orchestral works and chamber music will be on the programme at the Koningin Elisabethzaal and deSingel.
'With our new chief conductor Elim Chan and in the best concert hall in the country, it will be a very exciting new concert season.' - Joost Maegerman, intendant Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
'I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to stand as chief conductor for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in the coming seasons. I am counting down the days until the start of my first season with the orchestra, like a child looking forward to opening all his Christmas presents.' - Elim Chan, chief conductor Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from season 2019-2020
'The orchestra and I cannot wait to work together on classics by great masters such as Mozart, Shostakovich, Dvořák and Stravinsky, but also contemporary music by talents and visionaries such as Anna Clyne, Luc Van Hove and Lera Auerbach on the programme. It will be fantastic to share this with the audience in the Koningin Elisabethzaal, our beautiful home base.' - Elim Chan, chief conductor Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from season 2019-2020
'I can't wait to get to know the musicians of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra better and to discover all the beautiful corners and hidden gems of the city of Antwerp.' - Elim Chan, chief conductor Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from season 2019-2020.
Practical information
View the 2019-2020 season on the website
'Body or Soul' - foreword by Joost Maegerman, intendant Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
- WHAT: Season Programme Antwerp Symphony Orchestra 2019-2020
- PHOTOS: © Jesse Willems, Willeke Machiels, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
