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Echoes of the North

Contemporary Masterpieces

Silence, sound and imagination with four Nordic voices of today and four Belgian premieres waiting to be experienced.

Fri 04.12.26 20:00
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Eva Ollikainen c Nikolaj Lund 3
© Nikolaj Lund

As part of the Ars Musica festival, this programme (made up of four Belgian premieres) explores contemporary Nordic music in its most honest form: calm, focused and stripped of ornament. In Catamorphosis, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, our composer-in-residence, allows music to emerge from slow shifts and irreversible change. Sound becomes substance, shaped by tension and time.

In Anders...

As part of the Ars Musica festival, this programme (made up of four Belgian premieres) explores contemporary Nordic music in its most honest form: calm, focused and stripped of ornament. In Catamorphosis, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, our composer-in-residence, allows music to emerge from slow shifts and irreversible change. Sound becomes substance, shaped by tension and time.

In Anders Hillborg’s The Strand Settings, the human voice takes centre stage. Soprano Ida Falk Winland moves through a hushed sound world where text, sound and silence carefully probe one another. Kristine Tjøgersen’s Between Trees draws music from perception itself, weaving subtle natural sounds that blur the boundary between inner self and outer world.

Hans Abrahamsen closes the programme with Vers le Silence, a work in constant motion, moving from intense sound to fading and stillness. Conductor Eva Ollikainen masterfully leads this evening in which imaginative listening lies at the core and deeply human emotions rise to the surface.

Thanks to the players of the National Lottery and to the Tax Shelter of the Federal Government of Belgium through Casa Kafka Pictures.

Tickets

Fri 04.12.2026 20:00
Bozar
From € 15
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Concert with introduction

Enhance your experience beyond the concert with an introduction! The introduction starts at 7 pm and is free upon presentation of your concert ticket.

Programme

  • Anna Thorvaldsdottir
    Catamorphosis (Belgian premiere)
  • Anders Hillborg
    The Strand Settings (Belgian premiere)
  • Kristine Tjøgersen
    Between Trees (Belgian premiere)
  • Hans Abrahamsen
    Vers le Silence (Belgian premiere)

Artists

  • Eva Ollikainen Conductor
  • Ida Falk Winland Soprano
Duration 110 minutes
© Hrafn Ásgeirsson

Anna Thorvaldsdottir, portrait artist of the 26/27 season

Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir unfolds sublime soundscapes like no others. These slow, atmospheric pieces, greatly influenced by nature, are often preceded by sketches that she then turns into sound. The BNO will present four large-scale works in 26/27. For Metaxis, the orchestra even moves into the Ravenstein Gallery, spreading across several floors to create a truly immersive listening experience.

In co-production with

With the support of