Brussels is about to be overwhelmed by the music of Philippe Boesmans (1936–2022), a composer whose operas and chamber music turned theater and lyricism into an unforgettable experience. From Flagey to De Munt, from the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles to the Klara Festival: everywhere echoes the sound of an artist who combined opera drama and musical finesse like no one else. This year would have been Boesmans' 90th birthday, a milestone that the city and its musical institutions celebrate with a wave of concerts, masterclasses and lectures: the Boesmans Wave.
Philippe Boesmans: a great Belgian composer
Philippe Boesmans was a Belgian composer who made his name in the theater and opera domain. His works, often inspired by contemporary literature and dramaturgy, are characterized by a combination of intense emotional expression and refined musical structures. Boesmans collaborated extensively with La Monnaie/De Munt, where he became one of the most important house composers. Operas such as Reigen, Julie and Au monde demonstrate his ability to weave psychological drama with a rich musical palette. His oeuvre, which besides opera also includes orchestral and chamber music, remains an influential source of inspiration for both young and established musicians.
A wave of events
The Boesmans Wave is more than a series of concerts. It is a collective initiative that brings together different generations of musicians and listeners around the versatile oeuvre of this special composer. The program balances between theater, recital, orchestra and improvisation, and invites both seasoned opera lovers and curious newcomers to immerse themselves in his universal musical language.
On Friday, March 13, baritone Stéphane Degout, prominent performer of Boesmans' operas Au monde and Pinocchio, honors his deceased friend during Vive Boesmans. Together with pianist Simon Lepper and soprano Fleur Strijbos, he performs a recital of Boesmans' songs on texts from Shakespeare's Sonnets, alongside cycles by Schumann, Poulenc and Foccroulle.
On Saturday, March 14, Flagey hosts the closing concert of a masterclass by Sylvain Cambreling, performed by the Orkest van het Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, with exclusively works by Boesmans. Later that evening, Julien Libeer performs with the Brussels Philharmonic under the direction of Christian Blex Fin de nuit, a work by Boesmans, alongside compositions by Wagner and Debussy, composers who play an important role in his musical universe.
The Klara Festival joins in on March 26 with a piano concert in the Grote Foyer of De Munt. Stephane Ginsburgh performs works by Boesmans and improvises together with Kris Defoort, a collaboration that showcases the versatility and contemporary relevance of his music.
Earlier, on February 11 and March 12, the Collège Belgique and the Koninklijke Academie van België organize lectures and concerts with young musicians from the Brussels Conservatoire, in preparation for the wave of events.
Publications and digital legacy
In addition to the concerts, a new book about the composer will also be published: Dans les brisures du temps, les émotions s'affolent by Camille De Rijck, which provides a valuable addition to the Boesmans bibliography. Moreover, a new website will make the entire initiative and the composer's works accessible to a broad audience: www.philippeboesmans.be.
Those who listen to Boesmans' music again will notice how he combines rhythmic sharpness, subtle harmonies and dramatic intensity. Each work is its own universe, full of introspection and theatrical explosions. The Boesmans Wave promises then not only to be a tribute, but a living musical experience in which the legacy of one of the most significant Belgian composers continues to live. Brussels may prepare itself for a wave of beauty, intensity and inspiration.