reConciliations: war & peace
Our double-concerts 2026.

The festival opens its sixth season by juxtaposing historical resilience with contemporary energy. InAlto Ensemble performs sacred Baroque works by Schütz and Theile, evoking hope in the aftermath of the Thirty Years' War. This is paired with AkroPercu, a percussion trio blending physical theater and virtuosity to transform the site into a "mythical combat" of sound. Together, they explore the power of music and gesture as instruments of renewal and gathering.

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Ensemble Matica de Flor (France), 2025 NextGen winners, present a rare program of Sephardic traditions from the Mediterranean, celebrating resilience and cultural memory. In a powerful historical parallel, Ensemble Satellite explores 20th-century suppressed voices, including Gideon Klein and Sofia Gubaidulina. Together, these programs offer an intense reflection on exile, resistance, and music’s universal power to transcend historical trauma.​

In collaboration with Bozar, the festival debuts its "off-site" series with a unique, immersive double concert. Audiences will journey between "below" and "above," experiencing secular music by ClubMédiéval in the archaeological underground and sacred music by Dionysos Now! in the Coudenberg Church. This rotating "in situ" format, featuring music linked to the courts of Charles V and Mary of Hungary, maximizes capacity while offering a quadrupled, immersive experience across these historic spaces.

The festival concludes with a focus on cultural dialogue, featuring Belgian-Syrian oud player Elias Bachoura. His album Biharayto blends Eastern modal depth with Western classical harmony, offering a meditation on peace and coexistence.

This is followed by the experimental duo BeraadGeslagen (Lander Gyselinck and Fulco Ottervanger), who will preview their upcoming album. Their high-energy jazz and electronic improvisation continue the evening's theme, exploring the tensions and harmonies between tradition, memory, and contemporary resistance.​​​​​​​