LUNALIA is the city festival of the Festival van Vlaanderen Mechelen. The name simultaneously refers to the Mechelen legend of the moon extinguishers (luna) and to the fascinating universe of song and the human voice (lia). LUNALIA is an international voices festival and for its sixth edition the festival once again takes over the Mechelen city center from April 22 to May 7 with a rich and adventurous program, under the festival motto You'll never be alone anymore.
The moon resonates with feminine energy and LUNALIA honors with the productions Alma and Figurine the creative and spiritual power of women. Soprano Elise Caluwaerts and pianist Marianna Shirinyan were fascinated by the intimate, sensual and at the same time intense work of Alma Mahler, resulting in a CD recording.
In Figurine Hildegard Von Bingens Ordo Virtutum forms the starting point for Lieselot De Wilde to reflect on artistry and existence from a feminine perspective. This music theater production is her first solo creation and is part of a series of concerts, performances and visual works with the same title in which the versatile singer and artist engages in dialogue with herself in her characteristic subtle, refined and challenging style.
Sjaella means soul in Swedish and anyone who has seen the ensemble at work knows that the six German singers could not have chosen a better name. With a deep universality and a touch of wonder, each of their concerts invites exploration of a new universe. In Origins they sing with their heavenly voices the cycle of life, nature and woman. Le Monde described their new CD Origins (10/21) as "spirituality to mysticism and sensuality to eroticism". Meridians, their newest creation and world premiere during Lunalia, unfolds as a journey through folk songs of different cultures. A journey that blurs the boundaries of time- and region-specific melodies and culminates in musical timelessness.
During Lunalia 2023 there are also new compositions to be heard by Winnie Brückner and Heleen Van Haegenborgh as well as the performances A History of the Voice by Jennifer Walshe, Loopwork by Ine Claes and Millennial History by Andrea Voets.