With The Planets, the Antwerp Spring Festival 2026 confirmed its ambition to be more than a classical concert programme. The programme – from Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) via Frederik Neyrinck (°1985) to Gustav Holst (1874-1934) – unfolded on Thursday 23 April as a carefully constructed trajectory from primordial state to cosmic imagination. At the Handelsbeurs Antwerpen, that narrative gained not only historical resonance with Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen (SOV), but also a distinctly contemporary interpretation.
Crucial to this was the role of principal conductor Martijn Dendievel, who approached the programme as one continuous dramaturgical arc. In Haydn's Die Vorstellung des Chaos, he opted for a clear, transparent reading in which the music gradually ordered itself from apparent randomness. At the same time, it was palpable that the orchestra was still finding its place in the hall's space in the opening phase. Ambient sounds – the clinking of glasses and a rather pronounced air conditioning – did not make concentration self-evident. However, as the performance progressed, it gained more focus and the build-up of tension came into its own.
During the world premiere of Okapi, Frederik Neyrinck's trombone concerto, thinking in sound and space received a contemporary and particularly convincing translation. The work departed from an explicit spatial concept: alongside soloist Bram Fournier, two additional trombonists were distributed on the first floor, resulting in a layered sound field in which echo, resonance and movement were central. Neyrinck approached the trombone as a multiple voice, independent of the traditional contrast between soloist and orchestra, and rather as part of a dynamic network of sound relationships.
This resulted in a richly nuanced listening experience in which timbre and space were in continuous dialogue. The build-up of tension unfolded associatively rather than linearly, giving the work an open and imaginative quality. This was also the greatest strength of Okapi: in its direct sensory impact and in the way it drew the listener into a sound world that gradually unfolded.
Fournier proved to be the ideal interpreter for this concerto, which seemed to have been written for him. With a performance that was simultaneously physical, expressive and refined, he drew a remarkably broad palette of colours from his instrument: from raw, grainy textures to silken lines and surprisingly subtle colour nuances. He gave the work form from within and made the versatility of the trombone tangible in all its facets. At the same time, the orchestra stood out for its rhythmic precision and clear coordination under the direction of Martijn Dendievel. Subtle reminiscences of 1920s jazz and influences from the musical theatre tradition gave the whole an extra layer, making the concerto engaging from beginning to end.
After the interval, The Planets by Holst took their place as the culmination, with Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen expanded with SOV Young and the women's choir of Octopus. No fewer than 28 young musicians took their place among the regular orchestra members (56 musicians), resulting in a remarkable symbiosis between experience and youthful energy. That the orchestra continues to take this role and actively pursues the integration of young musicians underscores the importance of such initiatives for the future of the Belgian musical landscape.
In Holst's cycle, Dendievel opted for a reading that placed clarity and structure at the centre. The interplay was refined and engaged, although in the more melodic parts there was occasionally a lack of typical English phlegmatism. Some lyrical passages, such as the well-known hymn in "Jupiter", sounded rather sturdy than sustained, with a slightly militaristic undertone. At the same time, there were many moments that did convince, with beautifully worked-out lines and a warm orchestral sound in more contemplative passages. The finale with the ladies of the Octopus Choir also provided a pleasantly strange, almost esoteric atmosphere that worked well within the hall's acoustics. Unfortunately, here too in the final bars the silence was somewhat disturbed by ambient sound, which meant that the restrained effect could not work as deeply as intended.
As a whole, this concert demonstrated how consistently a programmatic idea can be carried through, from Haydn's creation chaos via Neyrinck's contemporary sound exploration to Holst's cosmic visions. The trombone concerto in particular stood out for its imaginative power and richness of sound, while the collaboration between regular musicians and SOV Young proved not only artistically fruitful, but also emerged as a convincing model for the future.
That all this came together in the Handelsbeurs Antwerpen, a space that allows both grandeur and intimacy, gave the concert an extra dimension. Thus the project gained form not only in the score, but also in the performance: music as a shared journey, carried by different generations and voices, and therein lay the lasting artistic added value of this evening.