It’s official: the BNO Atelier is inaugurated!

9 January 2026, Brussels – The three federal cultural institutions — Bozar, La Monnaie and the Belgian National Orchestra — once again joined forces for a joint press conference to present their outlook and projects for 2026. One of the highlights of the event was the official inauguration of the BNO Atelier, the orchestra’s new rehearsal space, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Jan Jambon.

Conceived as a true artistic laboratory, the BNO Atelier provides a unique environment to experiment, create and develop ever more ambitious projects, in close connection with audiences and partners. The orchestra is proud to officially present this space “where anything becomes possible”, the result of close collaboration with Bozar, project owner, and made possible thanks to the support of Beliris. The project was carried out by the architecture firms DRDH and Denys in collaboration with Bozar.

BNO Intendant Bob Permentier also highlighted an outstanding year in 2025 for the orchestra. Nearly 70,000 people attended its concerts in Belgium and abroad — a 35% increase compared to the previous year. The orchestra performed 59 concerts across 16 venues, including 40 at Bozar, which alone attracted 45,000 attendees (+57%). This growth goes hand in hand with a younger and more diverse audience, driven by ambitious projects, new formats such as the Symphonic Dates — which brought in nearly 50% new audiences — collaborations with Bozar and La Monnaie, bold artistic partnerships with pop and rap artists, and a successful tour in South Korea. The BNO Atelier now stands as a key asset in meeting future artistic challenges while maintaining the orchestra’s musical excellence. Bob Permentier also introduced the orchestra’s new visual identity, signalling a fresh direction and renewed ambitions in the months ahead.

At Bozar, Christophe Slagmuylder emphasised the spirit of co-creation that unites the institutions, reflected in a series of strong co-productions such as Staging the Concert by Radouan Mriziga, the Symphonic Dates, and cross-disciplinary projects with artists like Scylla and Zaho de Sagazan. These collaborations have proven highly successful and have helped attract a notably younger audience. In total, Bozar welcomed 749,518 visitors in 2025 across 822 events — a 20% increase compared to 2024. Slagmuylder also underlined the central role the BNO now plays within Bozar’s programming, through major highlights such as the Beats & Pieces Festival, the Bartók Festival, Fire in My Mouth (in collaboration with La Monnaie), and several large-scale portraits and thematic projects.

For her part, Christina Scheppelmann, General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie, looked back on an equally remarkable 2025 for the Brussels opera house, crowned by the Oper Award for Best Opera Company of the Year. She highlighted concerts at Bozar, the return of the urban festival UMOB – United Music of Brussels, and the growing international reach of the three federal institutions: the BNO touring South Korea, La Monnaie at the Salzburg Festival, and Bozar hosting major international productions and artists. She also reaffirmed the essential role of culture in society.

Present at the event, Minister Jan Jambon praised the achievements of the three institutions and welcomed the strengthening of their collaboration. Drawing on his experience as former Flemish Minister-President for Culture, he reiterated his strong personal commitment to the cultural sector.

The presentation was punctuated by live music, featuring a quintet of musicians from the BNO and a performance by pianist Arthur Hinnewinkel, 4th prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2025. On this occasion, the new Yamaha CFX piano — symbolising a new partnership — was played for the very first time in the BNO Atelier.