Brussels Philharmonic-the Orchestra of Flanders

Brussels Philharmonic -the Orchestra of Flanders (formerly the The Vlaams Radio Orkest), founded in 1935 as a studio ensemble under the aegis of the public broadcasting network, is today a modern, flexible symphony orchestra with a predilection for the past but with its sights resolutely set on the future.

With the major 20th century repertoire as its calling card, Brussels Philharmonic strives to make its mark in the field of contemporary music and film scores. Brussels Philharmonic is developing ongoing collaborative arrangements with various renowned guest conductors, so that it can not only explore the symphonic repertoire, but also find new ways of performing and building bridges to other musical genres and artistic disciplines.

Since the 2005-2006 season, Brussels Philharmonic is back home in the famous Studio 4 of the renovated Flagey building in Brussels. From this home base the orchestra is steadily building up its own series at Flagey, along with a regular concert cycle in the Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar), in order to strengthen its presence and effect throughout Brussels. Brussels Philharmonic also considers its duty to build a bridge to other cultures and communities within the the city’s fabric, and to address itself to as wide an audience as possible.

In addition to its strong presence in its centre in Brussels, Brussels Philharmonic invests a great deal of effort in being represented throughout Flanders. The orchestra also performs regularly in the major Flemish concert halls such as De Bijloke, deSingel, the Queen Elisabeth Concert Hall and the Concertgebouw in Bruges. This season will also see the start of a wide-ranging collaboration with the Royal Ballet of Flanders.

Since 2004 Brussels Philharmonic has established its place in the international film industry. Since 2000 the orchestra has enjoyed a strong bond with the Flanders International Film Festival in Ghent. In addition to various CD recordings and the annual World Soundtrack Awards, the orchestra also participates in prestigious projects involving film music. In 2005 Brussels Philharmonic took part in the Berlin Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and an invitation for the 2007 edition. Via specific projects brought to various foreign podia, the orchestra continues to build up its international reputation.

The close ties with public broadcasting continue: almost all concert productions are recorded by the VRT and the orchestra never fails to do its part for various radio and television events. In collaboration with Klara, Brussels Philharmonic is recording a CD series with monographs of Flemish composers. Since the 2004-2005 season, a new CD collection has been appearing on the Glossa label devoted to the major 20th century repertoire.The first CD of the series, ‘L’oiseau de feu’ conducted by chief conductor Yoel Levi, was received with enthusiasm by critics abroad.

Brussels Philharmonic - the Orchestra of Flanders is an Institution of the Flemish community and is supported by the National Lottery. Its media partners are Klara, De Morgen and Roularta.