1. Hear a jazz legend at work
Wynton Marsalis is coming to Bozar. Twice! And for the occasion he is bringing the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - the contemporary big band. On 28 March, they will perform Marsalis' vibrant Fourth Symphony (The Jungle) and his lyrical Violin Concerto together with the Belgian National Orchestra. Star violinist Nicola Benedetti performs the solo part. On 29 March, Marsalis and JLCO will provide a concert in the purest tradition of American jazz. Can't get enough of Marsalis? Stick around for an exclusive jam session.
2. Patricia Kopatchinskaya's boundless energy
‘Something has to happen during a concert. A miracle. No, I am not modest about that,’ says Kopatchinskaya. During the Klarafestival, she provides two. Accompanied by piano virtuoso Fazil Say, she presents Beethoven's poignant Kreutzer Sonata, a work by Karol Szymanowski and compositions of her own. A week later, in Dies Irae, she creates a moving experience taking Galina Ustvolskaya's piece of the same name as a starting point. You will hear even more brand-new compositions by Kopatchinskaya during Lukas Sternath's piano recital on 6 April.
3. Wander around during Muziekberg
On 22 March, the Kunstberg (‘Mount of the Arts’) will transform into a Muziekberg (‘Mount of music’). In Polyphonies, 17 singers form a mobile soundscape in the majestic Horta Hall at Bozar. At times the collective swarms together, at other times it disintegrates into smaller formations or separate particles. Director Aïda Gabriëls takes you from one era to the next, from the 14th-century Guillaume de Machaut to contemporary composers such as Julia Wolfe, Kaija Saariaho, Caroline Shaw and Adja Fassa. Or celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration, with four diverse ensembles from Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
4. The Best of Pärt
Arvo Pärt turns 90, and that should be celebrated. With his mesmerising oeuvre, the Estonian composer firmly entrenched himself in music history - and in hearts and charts all over the world. The Belgian National Orchestra provides a trip through his instrumental repertoire. Besides the Third Symphony, Spiegel im Spiegel, Fratres, Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten and other classics can be heard.
5. Front row seats to top international orchestras
During the opening concert, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian and the Gürzenich Orchester Köln guide you through a colourful programme: from Aram Khachaturyan's Gayaneh to Mussorgsky's Pictures of an Exhibition in an arrangement by Ravel. And celebrated conductor Marin Alsop demonstrates why Szymanowski's Stabat Mater is not inferior to pieces by such illustrious predecessors as Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso and Pergolesi.
