An orchestra for everyone! With Ronan Tighe

Making programming accessible to a new, wide audience is quite a challenge. How do you approach this?

We’ve developed a strong strategy for the 25*26 season, which we’ll roll out even more explicitly from 26*27 onwards. More concretely, we aim to build as many bridges as possible across different layers of society. That means focusing on collaborations with musicians outside the classical sphere, coming from pop, rap and folk. We also connect with other art forms such as dance, film, and visual arts. At the same time, we give classical music space to simply be itself, opening it up to a broad group of concertgoers who are curious about classical music – because that audience is definitely there too.

What is the BNO doing to attract younger audiences?

We’re joining forces with the hugely popular French pop singer Zaho de Sagazan. On 23 and 24 October she’ll perform a programme with the BNO as part of an international series of symphonic concerts. Our orchestra was among the very first to take on this challenge. A few weeks later, we’ll perform with Brussels-based rapper Scylla. The concerts on 6 and 7 November are already sold out! But no worries – there’s a third concert planned on 10 November.

So pop and rap. Will other genres also be featured?

Absolutely! Folk, for instance. On 8 February 2026 we welcome folk violinist Tcha Limberger, who will combine Bartók’s music with authentic Transylvanian folk. He’ll share the stage with the classical star violinist Simone Lamsma, who will shine in Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto and also join Tcha for violin duets. Two virtuosos on stage together – that will be magical.

Do you also look beyond the world of music?

Definitely. Are you into contemporary dance? The BNO will take part in Bozar’s Staging the Concert series on 18 September. The evening will feature Moroccan choreographer Radouan Mriziga, who builds his own soundscapes deeply rooted in his heritage. Together with dancer Maïté Maeum Jeannolin, he will create a programme around John Adams’ Shaker Loops.

But what if I’m not familiar at all with a classical orchestra?

For anyone curious or new to classical music, we’re launching a series of Symphonic Dates in October. Thomas Vanderveken will present a classical masterpiece at each concert: he’ll introduce the work, give listening tips, and above all share his passion and enthusiasm for the music. We’ll start with Dvořák’s New World Symphony on 30 October, followed by Beethoven’s Pastoral in April. And these will be top-level performances with outstanding conductors: James Feddeck conducts Dvořák, while Richard Egarr leads the BNO in Beethoven.

Is working in such a cosmopolitan city as Brussels a particular challenge?

I also spent several years in Auckland, another cosmopolitan city, but with a very different demographic – Māori, Polynesian, European, Chinese, and more. Our aim there was to be an orchestra for all those communities. At the BNO we have similar ambitions, and that makes the work here both exciting and challenging. We constantly ask ourselves: how do we reflect the place we’re in – Brussels, Belgium – and the wider world in all its diversity? At the same time, we think about the era we live in, with all its turbulence and challenges. Our mission is to reflect both this time and this place in our work – through the artists we collaborate with, the way we programme and shape concerts, and so much more.