Bringing worlds together with Nico Schoeters and Ward Opsteyn

You’re arranging the music of rapper Scylla for symphony orchestra. How does that work in practice?

NS: We only start from his recordings, nothing is written down. He’s well known, so his tracks are easy to find: CD, Spotify, YouTube…

WO: Scylla works by ear, in a very intuitive way. He doesn’t write anything down. So we transcribed his lyrics and his music, and then began adapting all of it for the orchestra. When you think about it, we’re really building bridges between worlds: between French-speaking Belgium, where Scylla is a major figure, and Flanders, where he is less known. But also between two audiences: Scylla’s fans and lovers of symphonic music.

And do these audiences have something in common?

WO: Of course! People hear much more symphonic music than they think: in commercials, at the cinema… Listen to Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean with your eyes closed: orchestral music is everywhere, even if we don’t realize it. Our mission is to raise awareness of that, to spark people’s curiosity and make them want to experience a live orchestra.

Do you divide up the tracks between you?

NS: Yes, each of us has taken on certain pieces. But we proofread each other’s scores to keep a consistent style. It’s really teamwork, in every case.

Is Scylla involved in the process?

WO: 100%. He has twenty years of career behind him and personally selected the tracks he wanted to have orchestrated. We exchanged a lot from the very beginning, and he remains very present at every stage. He knows exactly what he wants. By the way, did you know that Scylla is also the name of a sea monster?

NS: Really?

WO: Yes, together with Charybdis. They even appear in Chaos, a series about Greek mythology.

NS: I’ll have to remember that, it’s a great anecdote!

Scylla’s music is often very intimate. Does that make things more complicated?

NS: That’s true, and it’s quite unique for a rapper. His music is poetic, restrained, almost soothing. Often, he’s accompanied only by a rhythmic base and a piano — for several years now, he’s been working closely with the French pianist Sofiane Pamart. And on his latest album, Portes du désert (released on May 23), the piano once again plays a central role.

WO: Exactly, and that’s the challenge: to open up the sound spectrum in order to make the whole orchestra heard — that was also a clear request from the orchestra. We want to take advantage of all the colors available.

NS: So we’re not just arranging, we’re also composing: we’re adding new orchestral parts. This project allows the Belgian National Orchestra to bring real added value.

As orchestra musicians, aren’t you tempted to write a bit more for your own instruments?

WO: Not at all! (laughs) We won’t be playing during these concerts. We’ll be backstage… alongside conductor Dirk Brossé during rehearsals. The backbone remains the strings, but we want the whole orchestra to shine.

How did this project come to you?

NS: We had already done arrangements for the BNO, together or separately. And here, we said yes right away. It’s always a bit intimidating to write for your own colleagues: you become very demanding. But one thing’s for sure: the audience will be there. The concerts on November 6 and 7 are sold out, and the one on November 10 is filling up very quickly. If you want to attend, don’t wait too long to book!

And do you write with Bozar’s acoustics in mind?

NS: The Henry Le Bœuf Hall is the best in Belgium. So there’s no need to worry: everything sounds magnificent there. The real challenge is finding the balance between rap and the orchestra. Since we want the most natural sound possible, only the voice will be amplified.