Discover the original behind the Eurovision tunes! Charpentier’s most famous Te Deum – he wrote four – overawes in exultant D major, with an eight-part ensemble and show-stealing trumpets and timpani. It is no great surprise then that this work – and especially its instrumental prelude – became a hit! Together with B'Rock, resident artist Vox Luminis completes the programme with a triumphant ode to the patron saint of music: Cecilia. Commissioned by London’s 'Gentlemen Lovers of Musick', Purcell composed a celebratory festival of colours that shines brighter than ever in this rendition by two of Europe's most exciting Baroque ensembles.

The german word „Irrsal“ is difficult to translate. It means a sort of emotional disorientation, a sense of being lost in emotion. The german poet-priest Eduard Mörike uses this expression in a poem, dedicated to an enigmatically beautiful women with whom he had a love affair. Love and devotion, guilt and redemption are the themes of the 12 Mörike orchestral songs by Hugo Wolf. The triangle of innocent love, erotic love and religious love is the subject of a film triptych by Clara Pons. The songs are performed by Baritone Dietrich Henschel and the Royal Flemish Philharmonic conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. A priest is thrown off his path after the encounter with a young woman. Lost in the labyrinth of desire he goes through temptation, devotion, voluptuousness and remorse. Seeking repentance he tries to follow the example of the passion of Jesus.

Jos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna Brugge zoom in on what many consider to be the cornerstone and showpiece of Beethoven’s orchestral oeuvre: his masterly Ninth. Completed in 1824, and blessed with even more monumental dimensions than its predecessors, this consummately crafted cathedral voices the birth of triumph from upheaval and the journey of the soul from introspection to jubilation. Its legendarily tough score is brimming with technical challenges. With the help of Collegium Vocale Gent, soloists Yeree Suh, Isabelle Rejall, Markus Schäfer, Thomas Bauer and conductor Korneel Bernolet this work easily surpasses all boundaries in the magical setting of Concertgebouw Brugge.

Top orchestra meets urban artists Zediam (rapper and poet), Monique Harcum (vocalist) en Grazzhoppa (DJ and turntablist)! We Orchestrate Words - in short WOW - is an incubator for innovative, fresh discoveries from the urban scene. Rap, soul and grooves come together, the jazz orchestra responds to it and adds composition. Eventually worlds become interwoven into a contemporary soundtrack of a big city.

An intimate portrait of Julien Libeer is sketched based on his own experiences as a promising pianist as well as some insights of his teacher, the famous pianist Maria João Pires. Donald Sturrock, the former producer at the BBC, talks about his first encounters with Libeer and what he admires in his playing.

The Astor Klezmer Trio derives its name from a combination of two very different cultures: Jewish Klezmer music and sensuous Argentine tango, as embodied by its most important representative (Astor Piazzolla) . Still, the leap to take from Klezmer to Tango was not a giant one in the Jewish community of Buenos Aires in the 1920’s: Jewish musicians quite naturally began playing tangos, while Argentinian composers started writing tangos in Yiddish. Teaming up with acclaimed flute player Marc Grauwels, Klezmer singer and violinist Joëlle Strauss shines a light on the roots and the essence of this music.

An intriguing and exciting exploration in the hearts and minds of three wonderful musicians! Jasper Somsen's international super trio featuring pianist Jean-Michel Pilc and drummer André Ceccarelli play the tumultuous rhythms of their album New Episode In Life. They are renowned for their wonderful singing tone, the wealth of sound and creativity. The musicians seem to have agreed on one thing only: surprise each other, the listener and it is constant pleasure.

Charles Gayle remains a living embody and voice of the great African American tradition; his sincerity and intensity are recognized as unique and absolutely dazzling, live and on a recording. With drummer Giovanni Barcella and double bass player Manolo Cabras, the encounter is each time immediate and enchanting, the musical cohesion and the respect of the three musicians for each other for ever endless.