Classical music
The golden age, the era of the greatest glories of Belgian classical music, is without question the Renaissance. In the 15th century, the famous Franco-Flemish School appeared, famous for its development of polyphony - the basis of modern harmony - which the country was to propagate rapidly throughout Western Europe thanks to the invention of printing (of which Antwerp was an important center) and to the travelling composers. Among them, the most illustrious remain Johannes Ciconia (1370-1412), pioneer and great master of the Ars Nova, Gilles Binchois (1400-1460) official composer of the powerful duchy of Burgundy, Pierre de La Rue (1460-1518) who made a career at the court of Maximilian of Austria or the famous Josquin des Prés (1450-1521) who knew success in Italy before ending up as a canon at Sainte-Gudule of Brussels. In the 16th century, the most famous musician in Europe was Roland de Lassus, also called Orlando di Lasso. Born in Mons around 1530, he practiced his art in Italy, then at the Bavarian court. His compositions are considered to be the summit and the culmination of the polyphonic age. Another Fleming famous in Italy, Adrien Willaert - born in Bruges in 1480 - is the author of masses, motets and madrigals, but remains engraved in history for having been Kapellmeister of the church of Saint Mark in Venice.
In the 17th century , Henri Du Mont (1610-1684) became chapel master to Louis XIV and worked for the Chapelle Royale in Versailles while Léonard de Hodémont (1575-1636) adopted and imported Italian innovations such as monody. In the 18th century, André-Modeste Grétry (1741 - 1813) from Liège became famous in Europe and had a career in Paris under several regimes with some famous operettas: Richard the Lionheart, Zémire and Azor, Céphale and Procris, etc. Another Walloon, François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829), influenced all French music of the 18th century. His most famous work is his Messe des Morts. In Brussels, capital of the Austrian Netherlands, a city that was also musical, the court of Charles of Lorraine maintained several talented composers: Van Helmont, De Groes, Van Maldere... It was again a citizen of Liège, César Franck (1822-1890) who in the 19th century founded one of the great movements of French music by renovating chamber music. One of his most faithful is Guillaume Lekeu, born in 1870, and prematurely died at the age of 24. His Sonata for piano and violin remains one of the masterpieces of the repertoire. The 19th century was also the time of a virtuoso violinist who would make the great hours of Belgian music: Henri Vieuxtemps. Admired by Berlioz and Schumann, Vieuxtemps may have revolutionized the interpretation of the violin, but unfortunately he is rarely played today.
At the beginning of the twentieth century , it is precisely a pupil of Henri Vieuxtemps who will be recognized worldwide: the violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaye. This favorite of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, founder of the Belgian violin school, also had many disciples in France, the United States and Russia. He was at the origin of one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world: the famous Queen Elisabeth Competition. The last famous representative of this school is Arthur Grumiaux (1921-1986). Today, the most famous Belgian in the field of classical music is undoubtedly the opera singer José Van Dam, who was made a baron by King Albert II in 1998, in recognition of his immense career. The Flemish baroque artists Philippe Herreweghe (conductor) and Sigiswald Kuijken (violinist and conductor) have also made Flanders and France happy together. Those interested in the history of 20th century music know the role played by Paul Collaer, pianist, musicologist, lecturer and critic who helped the greatest composers of the century and premiered many of their works in Brussels. Finally, in the contemporary register, let us mention the composer Wim Mertens, a minimalist in the vein of the Englishman Michael Nyman.
Where to listen to Belgian classical music?
As a country of music, Belgium obviously has no shortage of places to listen to classical music. In Brussels, the two major institutions of the genre are the Palais des Beaux-Arts (renamed "BOZAR") where the National Orchestra of Belgium resides, and the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, a major opera house, whose symphony orchestra is brilliantly conducted by Alain Altinoglu. Previous great directors of this institution include Gérard Mortier and Bernard Foccroulle. In Bruges, the Concertgebouw (an architectural curiosity) is home to the MA Festival, an event that specializes in early music and is open to all. In Ghent, the Opera De Flanders attracts music lovers from all over the world. Dating from the 19th century, it has retained́ all its lustre and people come from far and wide to hear Verdi and Puccini as well as great contemporary operas. Finally, in Liège, it is the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège that enjoys an international reputation. Since its creation in 1967, the Opera offers a rich and varied program for young and old, mixing great classics and discoveries as well as numerous activities and concerts to discover the backstage, the music or to learn singing.
Song and variety
Of course, the whole world knows Jacques Brel, the venerable master of French chanson. He remains the most famous and admired singer from the "plat pays". However, it would be a pity to limit Belgian music to its most illustrious representative. No, we're not just talking about J.-J. Lionel's Danse des canards... The names Adamo, Julos Beaucarne, Maurane, Axelle Red, Annie Cordy, Jo Lemaire (unforgettable for her cover of Ne me quitte pas), Frédéric François and Helmut Lotti certainly ring a bell? Well, yes, they're all Belgian! And their fame extends far beyond the borders of the kingdom. On the Flemish side, there's Arno (who sang in French), as well as the almost unknown Wil Tura, Raymond van het Groenewoud, Ferré Grignard, Johan Verminnen... And let's not forget the wave of bards, post-hippies with "medieval-folk" verve, such as Willem Vermandere, Wannes Van de Velde, Pol Rans and Dirk Van Esbroek, who sings tango in Flemish. In the 1980s, the Belgian chanson tradition blended with variety, with the success of singers such as Pierre Rapsat, Plastic Bertrand and Lio. Closer to home, Noé Preszow mixes raw lyrics with Anglo-Saxon melodies, while Pierre de Maere won the 2023 Victoire de la révélation masculine.
A pleasant place to listen to French chanson in Brussels is the Maison de la Musique, which honors the genre with regular concerts.
Jazz, rock and pop
In recent years, one Belgian artist has bridged the gap between the Belgian tradition of chanson à textes and modern - particularly electronic - productions: Stromae. Since his hit Alors on danse in 2010, the Brussels-based singer-songwriter has become a veritable phenomenon in the French-speaking music world. An emblem of Belgian creativity, he crowns a rather rich history of local pop, from the pop-rock of Clouseau in the 1990s to the "urban pop" of Angèle, via the synth-pop of Vive la Fête and the jazz-pop of Vaya con Dios. On the jazz front, Belgium has cultivated a strong jazz scene, with great names such as Jacques Pelzer (saxophonist close to Chet Baker), harmonica player Toots Thielemans (who played with Charlie Parker and Frank Sinatra), Philip Catherine (great guitarist) and pianist Charles Loos. And if Belgium loves to play jazz, it also loves to listen to it. The country is full of charming addresses where you can enjoy it live, such as the legendary Archiduc in Brussels. Originally the haunt of Stan Benders, the country's famous jazzman who played the piano there every evening in the 1950s-1960s, the Archiduc today cultivates the same spirit, preserved in its superb Art Deco original juice. In Ghent, fans of the genre will be delighted at Damberd, a multigenerational café with a rebellious spirit and very good programming. More arty (it's a stone's throw from the Museum of Fine Arts), but just as pleasant, is Antwerp's Café́ Hopper, which also offers excellent weekend jazz concerts.
In the pop-rock department, Belgium is also renowned for its festivals, the biggest of which are Wechter and Pukkelpop, both with gigantic programs. Otherwise, if you're looking for a good place to catch a concert, you'll find the Bonnefooi, a music bar with an electro edge but also open to all other genres (rap, soul and rock to name but a few), and the Café Central. Both play host to some real nuggets on stage. Speaking of rock, forget all the stereotypes about the country, as this genre is the real local specialty. Rather alternative and indie, Belgian rock exploded in the 1990s on the Flemish side with the famous dEUS, K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Zita Swoon, Ozark Henry or An Pierlé, then soon afterwards in Wallonia with Sharko, Girls in Hawaii, Ghinzu or Hollywood Porn Stars and more recently, Puggy, Balthazar and the solo project of Maarten Devoldere, its singer: Warhaus.
Electronic music
If one of the best-known links between rock and electronic music is Belgian - embodied by the Soulwax duo - it's perhaps because the country has long maintained a porous boundary between the two genres. The group Telex (much inspired by Kraftwerk) in the 1970s is a good example. In the following decade, electronic music exploded in the country with the irruption of EBM ("Electronic Body Music") from Germany. Hard, black, industrial and repetitive, it was a radical heir to new wave, of which the Belgians Front 242 and Snowy Red had become legends. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Belgium developed its own electronic genre: "New Beat". A response to nascent techno (in Detroit), impregnated with EBM, it was popularized in the country by the widespread use of ecstasy. Initially confined to a niche, pioneers such as Confetti's, Lords of Acid, Amnesia and Technotronic acquired an aura of avant-gardism in retrospect. Since the 1990s, Belgium has been a major player on the global electronic music scene, with house (such as Mugwump) and techno pioneers paving the way for today's superstars: Amélie Lens and Charlotte de Witte. As ever, Belgium is also home to one of the world's best-known (and most popular) festivals: Tomorrowland. Established in 2003 in the province of Antwerp, Tomorrowland welcomes festival-goers from the four corners of the globe, as well as the world's most famous DJs - David Guetta, Steve Aoki and Calvin Harris - in an XXL funfair atmosphere. Current electro stars include Henri PFR, Most Frequencies and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Beloved by connoisseurs, Brussels' Fuse is one of the country's legendary clubs. A Belgian equivalent of the Parisian Rex.
Hip-hop
Everything is cyclical, especially in music. Around 2015, when French rap was experiencing another dip in form, its resurgent Belgian cousin took the opportunity to explode across the French-speaking world. In no time at all, this new scene carved out a dream position for itself, reinvigorating French rap with its vigor. Among the most famous, Damso - spotted by Booba - is clearly at the top of the list, thanks to his spleen-filled hits such as Macarena and Bruxelles Vie. More surprisingly, the duo Caballero & JeanJass have put a smile back on the face of a rap that was lacking a touch of humor. As did Roméo Elvis, an atypical figure on today's hip-hop scene. There was also the very American R'n'B of Hamza, and the old-fashioned rap of l'Or du Commun, which France envies its Belgian neighbor. To enjoy live rap in Belgium, one of the best and best-known stages is the Dour Festival. A gigantic event - attracting over 200,000 festival-goers - it is renowned for its cutting-edge programming, inviting the cream of the Belgian and international scene in a variety of styles: hip-hop, techno, electro or rock. Les Ardentes in Liège and Dour (but not only in this style), are the two main festivals of the genre.
Dance
The Belgian choreographic scene is very active. And this surely has to do with its rich history. In the 1920s, Belgium made a cat's leap into modernity with Akarova. Nicknamed the "Belgian Isadora Duncan", Marguerite Acarin's real name offered new perspectives to classical dance through her free and modern practice, very inspired by the art of her time (she was also a painter and sculptor). But the great revolution of Belgian contemporary dance occurs of course with the unavoidable Maurice Béjart (who died at the age of 80, in 2007). Born in Marseilles, he came to Brussels in 1960 to create the Ballet du XXe siècle as well as the Mudra school, where dance was reborn and generations of great performers and choreographers flourished. During twenty-seven years of creation in Belgium, Béjart stimulated the artistic life of Brussels and became a compass for Belgian and world dance. Among the most famous choreographers in the country, we must mention a student of Mudra: the immense Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. Founder of the Rosas company, she revolutionized dance in Flanders in the early 1980s. In her wake, many great Belgian choreographers and dancers have left their mark on world creation, influenced in one way or another by Béjart. Jan Fabre, a visual artist as well as a choreographer who decompartmentalizes all the arts, Michèle-Anne De Mey, who also advocates dialogue between disciplines, Nicole Mossoux and Patrick Bonte, a duo working on the border between choreography and theater, Michèle Noiret, who since the 1990s has been questioning new technologies through dance, and Pierre Droulers, who mixes choreographic and visual grammar. Let's also mention Frédéric Flamand who, in 1991, took over the former Royal Ballet of Wallonia and renamed it "Charleroi/Danses" to make it the first contemporary dance company in Belgium. This was a huge turning point and is today the driving force behind the dynamism of the Belgian scene and a reference institution both in Belgium and internationally. Trained at the Performing Arts Research and Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S) founded by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, the vibrant choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is the leading Belgian figure on the current international choreographic scene. Working with Beyoncé and as director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, he is one of the current virtuosos who is in demand on stages around the world.
Belgian dance scenes
And as far as theatres are concerned, Belgium has some more than recommendable ones. Starting with the iconic Charleroi Danse, dedicated to contemporary creation and with a branch in Brussels called the Raffinerie. The Halles de Schaerbeek, with its industrial environment of glass and metal, is another fine venue for dance, as is Les Brigittines, a former religious building converted into a center for contemporary art (with an excellent restaurant), and the Kaaitheater, dedicated to performance art.
