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.
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.
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.
Discover the full programme and book your tickets via the festival website.
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.
details here
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
In Dutch and in English
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.
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.
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.
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.
Programme August 22 2026:
10:00 — Ossian’s Dream
11:00 — Ensemble Pampinea
12:00 — Il Concerto Intempestivo
14:00 — Primo Getto
15:00 — Trio Turbulences
16:00 — KIMA
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 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
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 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
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
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
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.
Coaching programme: creation & composition for symphony orchestra
(CLOSED) DEADLINE: 5 April 2026
SoundMine is an intensive coaching programme that focuses on your development as a young composer.
Over the course of five days, selected participants will receive personal guidance from Diederik Glorieux and guest teachers Jorrit Tamminga (electronics), Hannes Vanlancker (engraving) and Annelies Van Parys (composition). The focus is on music creation and composition of symphonic and electronic music. Together with the four expert coaches, you will work on developing your own concept and creation. Subsequently, in May 2027, all participants get the unique opportunity of working with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra for a special showcase of their compositions in the Queen Elisabeth Hall.
The course has an international focus. This allows you to connect with talented professionals from home and abroad and enrich your creative perspective in an international setting.
Take part in this special experience and boost your practice:
SoundMine is a project by Musica in collaboration with Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and De Studio. With support from Flanders.
In memory of composer Wim Henderickx, the inspiring force behind SoundMine.
When
Course: From Monday 6 (10 a.m.) to Friday 10 (4 p.m.) July 2026. The days will be well filled, so expect a work schedule from 9.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (including dinner). Accommodation in Antwerp is therefore recommended.
Showcase: Rehearsals with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra on May 3, 2027 + Showcase on May 4, 2027.
Where
De Studio, Maarschalk Gérardstraat 4, Antwerp
Participants
Young people between 15 and 35 (+/-) years of age with a thorough knowledge of music and a passion for composing.
Price
-Coaching at De Studio (including sandwich lunch and hot dinner); €395
-[optional] Accommodation in Antwerp; €160 (shared room for 4-6 people) or €320 (single room) at the Pulcinella youth hostel.
Selection
This course is aimed at young professionals from Belgium and abroad. Selection is based on your motivation, portfolio and potential. A total of 10 participants will be selected. You can expect the results around April 20.
Application
Seize this opportunity and register before Sunday 5 April 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact marijn<at>musica.be
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the secret world of polyphony?
The Summer School offers amateur singers and young professional singers a unique opportunity to be part of a special musical adventure. From August 23 to 28, singing enthusiasts will gather in Antwerp for an intensive week of polyphonic music under the professional guidance of Cappella Pratensis teachers Tim Braithwaite, Stratton Bull, and Peter de Laurentiis. The highlight? A showcase on August 29 during the prestigious Laus Polyphoniae festival, where you will share the results of your collaboration with the general public.
Quomodo Cantabimus in Terra Aliena: Forbidden music in Elizabethan England ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ laments Psalm 136, recounting the anguish of the Jewish exiles during their captivity in Babylon as they are asked to sing by their captors. By the time Elizabeth I took the English throne in 1558, England was in the grip of profound religious turmoil, with the state religion having changed repeatedly since the initial zeal of Henry VIII’s Reformation. By the year 1600, with the supremacy of the Church of England having been firmly established, those who remained faithful to the church of Rome were suffering frequent persecution in the form of state-sanctioned torture and execution. In the midst of this oppressive political landscape, devout Catholics continued to meet in secret all over the country; some to celebrate mass, some to conspire against the crown, and some to make forbidden Catholic music together.
This year’s edition of the Cappella Pratensis Summer School explores such secret musical events and the role that music-making played in political and religious resistance. Particular focus is on the contents of a single surviving music manuscript, which likely passed between the recusant households of Sir John Petre and Edward Paston in the 1590s. This manuscript, like others owned by such households, contains not just the newest sacred polyphony of the day, but also music from earlier composers such as Thomas Crecquillon, Nicolas Gombert, Thomas Tallis, and John Taverner.
Under the guidance of the Gramophone Award-winning ensemble Cappella Pratensis, participants will be immersed in both the theory and practice of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Highlights include historical solfège, the Guidonian Hand, and singing directly from original notation. The week concludes with an unforgettable concert together with members of Cappella Pratensis, as part of the festival programme.
The essence of Laus Polyphoniae 2026: the portrait of a many-voiced Europe where music simultaneously reaches the full height of its powers and descends into decadence. Where Venice echoes in Prague, Seville resounds in Lisbon, Naples whispers to London and Munich is an undertone in the north and the south. Where music printing opens the floodgates of new ideas, where composers migrate, scores travel around the world, and ‘old’ and ‘new’ constantly spur each other on. Read more
Participants in Cappella Pratensis’ Summer School 2026 will have the unique opportunity to attend a series of four afternoon concerts and one lecture at AMUZ.
Summer School is a project by Musica, Cappella Pratensis & AMUZ( Flanders Festival Antwerp).
Who is it for?
Amateur singers and young professional singers looking for deeper knowledge and artistic growth.
Cost
300 euros, including a selection of concert tickets for Laus Polyphoniae. Accommodation (not included in the participation fee) is available in various price ranges, from an excellent youth hostel nearby to a wide range of hotels.
When
Where
Antwerp: Musica School Stedelijk Basisonderwijs (Lange Ridderstraat 48) and AMUZ (Kammenstraat 81).
Registration
The registration deadline has now passed. The selection will be announced mid-April 2026.
Musica, STUK, Q-O2 and C-TAKT present an annual showcase of emerging sound artists in Belgium. The showcase shines a light on the diversity of the Belgian sound art landscape, and gives a boost to an upcoming generation of makers. We are looking for recent, existing sound work in any format: performance, installation, soundwalk, radio piece, intervention or other formats. The selected works will be presented in STUK on Thursday 26 November 2026. Please read the detailed conditions specified below.
Please apply before 1 March 2026 using the following online registration form. (CLOSED)
Additional files can be mailed to: info@q-o2.be
The selection does not take the age, gender, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, ability or education into consideration. Selected artists will be informed in March 2026.
Showcase Emerging Sound is a project by Musica, STUK, Q-O2 and C-TAKT
Does your vocal and/or instrumental ensemble perform music according to the principles of historical performance practice? International Young Artist’s Presentation (IYAP) 2026 offers you a unique platform to shine in front of an international audience and professionals from the sector.
What can you expect?
Three days of intensive coaching by renowned artists Peter Van Heyghen & Nicolas Achten, who give you tips on music and stage presence, connecting with the audience, putting together a concert program, and more. Learn how to captivate an audience, tell your story, and strengthen your ensemble. The highlight: a performance during Laus Polyphoniae at AMUZ, Antwerp, for festival audiences, international music critics, and concert programmers. You will receive targeted feedback and practical tools to help your ensemble grow.
Read on and discover the details for your application!
Practical information:
Who is it for?
Young vocal and/or instrumental musicians and ensembles with a maximum average age of 35. The ensemble focuses on playing historical instruments or using historical sources (up to 1920).
Coaches
Peter Van Heyghen & Nicolas Achten,
Cost
There is no registration fee; only travel and accommodation costs are covered by the ensembles themselves. If desired, the organization can arrange for a host family to stay with.
Schedule
March 1, 2026: Registration deadline
End of March – beginning of April: Selection of 6 ensembles announced
August 18 (5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.): Reception with host families and private first performance at AMUZ, Antwerp.
August 19 to 21 (9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.): Coaching program in Antwerp
August 22, 2026 (10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.): Presentation concerts during Laus Polyphoniae & reception with Feedback Committee
A condition for participation is that the entire ensemble must be available and present from August 18 to 22.
Locations:
AMUZ (Festival of Flanders Antwerp): Kammenstraat 81, 2000 Antwerp (reception and concert)
Musica School, Stedelijk Basisonderwijs, Lange Riddersstraat 48, 2000 Antwerp (coaching and rehearsal rooms)
Registration & Selection
In the application form you’ll be asked to provide:
Apply before March 1st 2026 via this online form. (CLOSED)
For questions, please contact alba@musica.be
IYAP is a project by Musica & AMUZ (Flanders Festival Antwerp)
