On Friday 23 October and Saturday 24 October 2026, Musica and Zonzo Compagnie are organising the brand-new unPLUG&PLAY at the Dommelhof Provincial Park. For two days, the focus will be on sound art for a young audience aged 4 to 12.
During unPLUG&PLAY, the whole of Dommelhof will be buzzing with experimentation. Every corridor, room and corner will be an invitation to discover what sound can be: art, play, adventure and surprise. On Friday we’ll be welcoming schools, and on Saturday families. View the full programme.
Become a volunteer
To help ensure the festival runs smoothly, we’re still looking for helping hands. As a volunteer, you’ll play a key role in the success of unPLUG&PLAY. For example, you’ll help guide the audience, support the technical team, look after the catering or assist with setting up and dismantling.
And of course, there’s plenty in it for you:
you’ll experience the festival from the inside;
you’ll get to catch lots of performances and sound installations;
you’ll receive a volunteer allowance of €42 per day;
for every half-day worked, you’ll get lunch and/or dinner, and for every full day worked, three drink tokens;
you’ll always find a snack or refreshment in the artists’ foyer.
When can you help?
We are looking for volunteers for various dates:
individual days in September and October to hand out leaflets and put up posters
Wednesday 21 October: festival set-up
Thursday 22 October: festival set-up
Friday 23 October: festival day for schools, between 8.30 am and 4.00 pm
Saturday 24 October: family day at the festival, between 9.00 am and 6.00 pm
Shifts last 4 hours a day.
Which role suits you best?
You can help with tasks such as:
ticket checking, supervising performances or installations, and welcoming visitors
supervising school groups during the school day
distributing leaflets and posters
assisting the technical team with set-up and dismantling
catering for performers and staff
picking up or dropping off performers as a driver
Interested in getting involved? Fill in the registration form. Once the schedule is finalised, we’ll be happy to get in touch with you.
Musica, STUK, Q-O2 and C-TAKT present an annual showcase of new sound art in Belgium. Following an open call, four promising sound artists were selected: Aminata Soumaré, Hannah Lyssens, Élie Bolard and George Dhauw. Each artist received a residency and artistic support and will present their work during Showcase Emerging Sound 2026 at STUK.
This edition features two installations and two performances.
Les Siffleuses (French for ‘the whistlers’) is a sound sculpture by French artist Élie Bolard, who is based in Belgium. As is often the case in his work, Bolard combines a clumsy DIY approach with ingenious technology. Beer bottles take centre stage in this sound sculpture. When the wind blows into them, they produce their characteristic, hollow whistling sound. Using a hydraulic system, Bolard can fill the bottles with water or drain them, allowing him to vary their pitch: full bottles sound higher, empty ones lower. Each bottle has its own voice, reminiscent of a bird call. Together, they create a dynamic musical interplay between seemingly living organisms.
In the adjacent space, George Dhauw presents his new installation Cracking, a fascinating combination of textile design and sound. Dhauw creates tactile sculptures using colourful fabrics and other richly textured materials. Sensors allow the sculptures to respond to the audience’s touch. By touching and exploring the work, visitors enter into an intimate relationship with it and discover a range of micro-sounds. The installation seems to breathe and resonate.
Alongside the installations, there are two live performances.
Aminata Soumaré presents Majesa, an audio collage for a spatial speaker setup. The work explores the representation of Black women in media and culture. Drawing on material from African American archives and Flemish media, Soumaré examines how persistent stereotypes continue to shape our collective imagination. Voices from interviews, speeches and media fragments overlap and collide in a spatial soundscape, where distance and proximity make tension and presence tangible. Majesa invites us to listen as a form of attention, care and resistance.
Hannah Lyssens moves between sound art, podcasting, research and participation. She approaches listening as an active practice centred on dialogue and reflection. In her performance Oefening voor het fonoceen Nr. 1, foley sound and live electronics come together in an imaginary sound environment. Using everyday objects and field recordings of human and non-human sounds, Lyssens explores how we can listen to a changing world.
programme
19:00-22:00 (ongoing): Installations (Ateliers) Élie Bolard — Les Siffleuses George Dhauw — Cracking
20:00: Performances (Labozaal) Aminata Soumaré — Majesa Hannah Lyssens — Oefening voor het fonoceen Nr. 1
21:00: Guided tour of the installations with Élie Bolard & George Dhauw (Ateliers)
Objects have a life of their own too. A dirty sock, a dented tin, a worn-out piece of fitness equipment: what have they been through? And what if they could tell you themselves?
In New Voices – Club 1, 10 children aged between 8 and 12 set out to investigate. They choose an object that appeals to them – something they’ve brought along, found, or picked up at the charity shop – and discover what lies hidden within it. Does the object sound like a character? What is its voice? What has it been through?
Using recordings, a reel and a magnet, the children literally give their object a voice. Mysterious? A little. But it works: the objects start to sing, talk and tell each other stories. Under the artistic guidance of sound artist Wannes Deneer, the children work together to build a world of sound which they will ultimately present to an audience at unPLUG&PLAY.
credits
concept & artistic guidance Wannes Deneer participants children from the Red Cross Valkenhof Reception Centre production Musica
The Sung Room Sound walk during Musica Divina 19.09
Musica and Musica Divina are joining forces with installation artists Strijbos & Van Rijswijk and Natuurpunt.
The Sung Room maps the surroundings through sound, with previously recorded (nocturnal) sounds from the landscape emerging naturally. As soon as you enter the folly, you are enveloped by musical voices. Together with the ambient sounds, this creates a complete composition. The creators have designed resonance panels as an alternative to traditional loudspeakers. In this way, the relationships between different spaces of experience are explored: from our inner world to intimate space, social space and public space.
The Sung Room was designed by visual artist Marc van Vliet. The vocalists are Michaela Riener, mezzo-soprano, and Arturo den Hartog, countertenor.
Open continuously, free of charge, no booking required.
New treasure hunt ECHO Schatten van Vlieg in Het Klankenbos (4+)
From 4 July, families can take part in a new treasure hunt by Schatten van Vlieg. You’ll discover ECHO – koda, Yama and the great silence through listening and hands-on activities in the woods. The trail is designed for children (aged 4+) and was created by child and adolescent psychiatrist Winny Ang. Pick up your booklet at the Musica information point and enjoy a musical trail.
SoundMine 2026: Young composers take centre stage Meet the participants
The selection for the SoundMine 2026 composition residency is complete. Discover the young talents who will be working with Diederik Glorieux and guest tutors Jorrit Tamminga (electronics), Hannes Vanlancker (engraving) and Annelies Van Parys (composition) during the week of 6–10 July.
Together with the four expert coaches, they will work on developing their own concept and creation. Subsequently, in May 2027, all participants will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra for a special showcase of the compositions.
The participants at a glance:
Fleur Bonnevits
Fleur Bonnevits is a Dutch singer-songwriter, composer and producer, working under the name Novits. She creates narrative, cinematic music at the intersection of pop, film and theatre, combining songwriting, orchestration and production.
Yijun Chen
Composer Yijun Chen lives in Brussels, where she is currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire. With a background in jazz composition and film music, her work focuses on texture, atmosphere and narrative musical forms.
Aumi Derycke
Aumi Derycke is studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, where she is completing her bachelor’s degree in composition under Annelies Van Parys. Alongside composition, she has developed a keen interest in electronic music, which is reflected in her studies in music and technology.
Helena Zyskowska
Helena Zyskowska is a Manchester-based composer, originally from Warsaw, Poland. Her work revolves around delicate, intricate soundscapes in which she explores vulnerability and instability. She is particularly drawn to the physical nature of sound.
Kobe Janssens
Kobe Janssens is studying composition and music writing at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. As a composer, he has a keen fascination with timbre and rhythm. He focuses primarily on writing works for large ensembles.
Ersan Januzi
Ersan Januzi is a Kosovo-based composer and PhD candidate in composition at the Faculty of Music of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition at the University of Pristina.
SiyeolJu
Siyeol Ju is a composer who lives and works in Korea and Germany. He studied composition at Seoul National University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Electronic Composition at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. His work encompasses electronic music, installations, media art and contemporary dance, focusing on the relationship between sound, space and performance.
Edoardo Brandi
Edoardo Brandi is a composer and violinist from Italy. In 2022, he began studying Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp under Wim Henderickx, Bram Van Camp and Steven Prengels. He is currently focusing on writing solo and chamber music works in various genres, primarily for traditional ensembles.
Massimiliano Vizzini
Massimiliano Vizzini is an Italian composer and multimedia artist living in the Netherlands. His work encompasses opera, mixed media and electronic music. In recent years, he has developed various intermedia projects in which he explores the concept of digital counterpoint, with performers extending onto the screen or becoming physically intertwined with the film environment.
Yiding Wang
Yiding Wang is a Chinese composer based in Brussels. Her work explores the relationship between sound and the body, focusing on physicality in contemporary music. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Composition at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Ticket sales for unPLUG&PLAY have begun The brand-new family festival in Pelt
Ticket sales for unPLUG&PLAY have officially begun. The first edition of this sound festival for children aged 4 to 12 will take place on Saturday 24 October 2026 at the Dommelhof Provincial Park in Pelt. unPLUG&PLAY immerses visitors in a playful world of sound, experimentation and interaction.
During unPLUG&PLAY, the whole of Dommelhof is all about experimentation. Every corridor, every room, every corner is an invitation to discover what sound can be: art, play, adventure, surprise. A day full of live performances, interactive sound installations and digital sound creations. Designed especially for a young audience, but adult ears will certainly find plenty to enjoy too.
Sector event: music for young audiences | 2/6/26 HA Concerts, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, Zonzo Compagnie & Musica
02.06.2026 | 12:00 am – 05:30 pm HA Concerts – Ghent (BE)
Do you work for an organisation that produces music for young audiences? Or do you yourself create work for young audiences? We invite you to Ghent on 2 June for a sector event featuring lunch, a keynote speech by composer and director Brian Irvine and interactive sessions in the afternoon.
In some music genres, there is already a strong and established tradition of creating music for and with young audiences. But for other genres, this practice is still very much in its infancy. At the same time, it remains essential – even for experienced musicians and creators – to tailor their work to an audience that is constantly changing, growing and evolving.
12:00 am: Lunch 01:00 pm: Keynote by Brian Irvine (EN) 01:30 pm: Working sessions (EN+NL) 03:00 pm: Break 03:30 pm: Working sessions (EN+NL) 05:00 pm: Networking moment
Language
In Dutch and in English
EXTRA workshop by Brian Irvine at 11:00 am (EN)
In addition to the sector day programme, we are organising an extra workshop in the morning from 11:00 am to 12:00 am. In a smaller setting, we will explore methods Brian Irvine uses for collective composition.
Brian Irvine (Belfast, 1965) is a composer and conductor whose music is a distinctive blend of contemporary classical music, jazz, punk, improvisation and theatrical elements. His extensive body of work includes operas, large-scale oratorios, orchestral works, chamber music, film scores and installations, performed by renowned ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. He was Associate Composer with the Ulster Orchestra and, in 2016, became the first ever Music Laureate of the City of Belfast. Irvine has won two British Composer Awards, the BBC Radio 3 Jazz Award and a Paul Hamlyn Composers Award.
The workshop lasts one hour (at 11:00 am) and will be in English. You can register via the registration form.
Partners
ha-concerts, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, Zonzo Compagnie & Musica
Musica is hosting artist Toon Quanten for a residency from 22 June 2026 to 26 June 2026. During this period, he will be working on MEGATRON, a sound art installation constructed from organ pipes and bellows. The polyphonic machine bears a resemblance to a medieval cathedral: mechanics and pneumatics, medieval and modern.
During the residency, Toon will deepen his exploration of the possibilities of this unique installation and investigate how young audiences can be immersed in a total physical and auditory experience.
Following on from this – between 28 June 2026 and 2 July 2026 – the musicians of the Delle Donne Consort will join the project. This recorder ensemble (Frederike Van Lindt, Lieve De Sadeleer, Kinga Ludvai and Paul J.W. Schauenburg), which specialises in early music, will then delve into the world of polyphony. They will explore the dialogue they can establish with MegaTron.
Presentation ‘First Impression’ International Teaching Artist Conference | Aug ’26
In August 2026, Antwerp will be buzzing with theatre and encounters during LOUDER TOGETHER: a unique conference-festival that brings together the performing arts, education and social engagement. This event consists of two parts: the World Children’s and Youth Performing Arts Festival (21–30 August 2026) & International Teaching Artist Conference (ITAC8) (28–30 August 2026). On behalf of Musica, Wim Pelgrims will speak about our expertise as Teaching artists, artists who forge links between art, education and communities.
[Practical details & daily programme to be announced.]
You can only make a first impression once, and at the same time receive one from someone you are meeting for the first time. Step into a space where you will meet an artist for the first time and where words are superfluous.
When the first sound or movement arises, it is your turn. Before you lie instruments and objects that invite interaction and play. You don’t need to know how to do anything — just listen, react and go with the moment.
It is an encounter without language. A duet in improvisation. A unique universe between two people. You decide how long this wordless interplay lasts.
Discover what happens when you engage in a conversation with sound and movement.
Selection IYAP 2026 announced: Get to know the ensembles
Six ensembles have been selected to take part in the latest edition of the International Young Artist’s Presentation (IYAP). Following an intensive coaching programme, these young musicians will take to the stage at the Laus Polyphoniae festival. During this concert day at AMUZ on 22 August 2026, the selected IYAP ensembles will showcase their talents in short performances.
Below you can get a first impression of each ensemble. Get to know each of them and put together your own discovery day, or opt for the IYAP day ticket and immerse yourself in a day full of new voices, new energy and music that is already making history tomorrow.
Named after Dominique Ingres’ famous painting of the mythical Celtic bard, Ossian’s Dream is an award-winning, flexible collective dedicated to performing 18th- and 19th-century chamber music on historical instruments. Driven by a mission to revive the historic salon culture as a vibrant space for artistic freedom and interdisciplinary exchange, the ensemble brings the Romantic spirit to life through unique arrangements, melodramas, and improvisation. The ensemble’s innovative approach has earned it significant international acclaim, most notably winning First Prize at both the 2025 International Van Wassenaer Competition and the 2024 Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Ensemble Competition.
Program: Music by C. Reinecke, J. Brahms, M. Bruch, P. Viardot-García Performers: Claudia Reyes Segovia, clarinet | Léa Al-Saghir, violin & viola | Pau Fernández Benlloch, piano
Ensemble Pampinea – Fortuna, wil you spare us?
Ensemble Pampinea is a passionate and vibrant early music ensemble based in Basel, bringing medieval and Renaissance repertoire to life through a compelling blend of historical depth and contemporary flair. It is weaving together programs that span Boccaccio’s Decameron with 14th-century Florentine music, Ars Nova and Ars Subtilior, and Burgundian soundscapes inspired by Jan van Eyck. All three musicians trained at the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, and the ensemble has earned growing international recognition through a First Prize at the London Early Music Young Ensemble Competition (2022), performances at the London International Festival of Early Music (2023), a finalist spot at Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, and tours across Europe and Canada.
Program: Music by G. Machaut, A. Zacara da Teramo, M. da Perugia, Solage e.a. Performers: Emile Ribokaite, voice | António Godinho, recorder | Fiona Kizzie Lee, organetto, pipe and tabor, recorders & artistic direction
Il Concerto Intempestivo – The invisible cities
Founded in 2023 by four graduates of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Il Concerto Intempestivo is a baroque ensemble that bridges historical performance practice with a bold contemporary creative voice. Rather than presenting conventional concert programmes, the group crafts immersive musical narratives – most notably their The Rite of Spring – Baroque edition– earning them the First Prize at the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci Competition (2025) and the Emerging Artist Competition in Vancouver (2024), alongside appearances at leading early music festivals. Violinists Rahel Boell and Jaume Guri Batlle, cellist Rebecca Krieg, and harpsichordist Eliot Xaquin Dios together push early music to its most imaginative possibilities. During the International Young Artist’s Presentation you can hear them in their new programme Invisible cities.
Program: Music by A. Corelli, J.F. Rebel, S. Rossi, C. Manelli & J.S. Bach e.a. Performers: Rahel Boell & Jaume Guri Batlle, violin | Rebecca Krieg, cello | Eliot Xaquin Dios, harpsichord
Primo Getto – Until peace comes
Primo Getto is a young ensemble bringing together voice, harpsichord, organ and bass violin in performances praised for their rare intimacy and depth of connection. Founded in 2025, the ensemble has already made a strong impression as finalists at the Première competition at FestiVita in Brussels (2026). Their debut programme Until Peace Comes, a journey through early German sacred music in the shadow of the Thirty Years’ War, has been performed in Brussels, Perugia, and Verona, with upcoming concerts in Denmark and Sweden confirming their growing reach across Europe.
Program: Music by S. Scheidt, A. Hammerschmidt, H. Schütz, J. Hildebrand e.a. Performers: Katerina Blížkovská, mezzo-soprano | Emanuele Petracco, tenor | Nicola Benetti, harpsichord & organ | Anna Antonuccio Johansen, bass violin
Trio Turbulences – Between heaven and earth
Founded in 2024 at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, Trio Turbulences unites voice, cornett and lute in an artistic practice rooted in original historical sources, where improvisation and composition are as central to the performance as the repertoire itself. Its deliberately intimate instrumentation allows the cornett’s voice-like timbre to blend seamlessly with the singer, creating a rare expressive and rhetorical intensity that brings 16th- and early 17th-century music to life as a living, breathing creative act. Winners of the First Prize at the Première Chamber Music Competition at FestiVita! Brussels (2026), the ensemble has performed in collaboration with the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève and the Musée de la Réforme, appeared at the L’Estivale Festival and the Théâtre de l’Orangerie.
Program: Music by S. d’India, C. de Rore, T. Merula, B. Foccroulle e.a. Performers: Ana Parejo Belando, voice | Tim Meulenbeld, cornett | Eric Meier, lute
KIMA – Foolish men and refined beasts
Founded in 2023 by Ivana Ivanovic, KIMA is a vocal ensemble that brings early music to life through a boldly theatrical and sensory stage language. Drawing on repertoire from the 14th to 16th century, the Basel-based musicians, all formed at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, craft performances that are as intimate and expressive as they are scenic and immersive, weaving movement and narrative into every concert so that audiences become participants in a living story. Since winning an internal competition at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and performing at the fringe of the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht in 2024, KIMA has continued to build its reputation across Europe with appearances at Festival Linee in San Marino, ReRenaissance Basel, Kloster Schönthal, and concert venues in Basel and Mulhouse.
Program: Music by G. da Firenze, P. des Molins, Solage e.a. Performers: Kaho Inoue, soprano | Ivana Ivanovic, mezzo-soprano | Léon Roch, tenor | Arthur Baldensperger, baritone
Listen to the installations with fresh ears, as we’ve been working hard to restore Het Klankenbos.
Soon you’ll be able to wander through our open-air museum in Pelt once again. Be inspired by the interplay of nature and sound, or embark on a new adventure with ‘Vlieg’ for children aged 4 and over!
We are holding an official reopening event on Saturday 4 July between 2 pm and 6 pm. Eleven permanent sound installations will be ready to play again by then, and the route will feature a completely new signage system.
There will also be three temporary sound experiences to discover that afternoon. Gemma Luz Bosch is bringing Long Low Slow Baden: an immersive acoustic installation on an inflatable mattress. Sound artist Jochem Baelus is giving his work Het Steen a place in Het Klankenbos: a beautiful sound sculpture in which everything moves just a little slower. And somewhere along the trail, cellist Ceres Lauwers will also welcome you during one2one: a concept where the hourglass determines how long Ceres plays just for you.
Finally, we asked author Winny Ang to develop a treasure hunt for children aged 4 and over. You can discover this from 4 July.
