The only Belgian Nobel Prize winner for literature, Maurice Maeterlinck, wrote his theatre play 'Pelléas et Mélisande' in 1893. The play made a great impression on a select group of composers: both Debussy and Fauré, as well as Jean Sibelius, wrote music inspired by this Symbolist masterpiece.

Tristan Murail was born in 1947. His biography reveals that he was a student of the famous Olivier Messiaen. But this connection is not the only asset to turn him into the heir of the rich French musical tradition. Fascinated by the pioneering work of sound magician Claude Debussy, Murail developed a new style that we have come to call ‘spectralism’.

This fall, we will be launching a brand-new fundraising initiative. Het Collectief wishes to play a leading role in the field of new creation. It is important to be able to make artistic choices autonomously. Independent of the subsidizing authority, we wish to absorb the risks associated with progressive programming by seeking patrons with a predilection for the avant-garde.