In the lead-up to performances of The Time of Our Singing at La Monnaie / De Munt in Brussels, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy the Raising Voices Festival from 17 to 22 October, celebrating the power of music, diversity and ‘togetherness’!
Expect a long weekend of concerts, performances, talks, workshops, guided tours and other events in an around La Monnaie, where the public will be able to anticipate the inspiring themes of the opera and embrace the differences that enrich us all.
We bring you a selection of events from the packed programme but be sure to check the full agenda here.
Opera & Dance Battles
17 October, 17:30-18:30 • Place de la Monnaie / Free access
Going head-to-head in this free starting event: in the left corner, MM Academy’s young heavy hitters with their knock-out melodies and ace vocal uppercuts, and in the right corner, La Monnaie’s brass quintet, unbeaten in drawn-out matches and feared for its honed swing. Several young dancers act as referees and move to enchanting hits from the opera repertoire.
Concertino: Jan Michiels / Dedicatio I
18 October, 12:30-13:30 • Grand foyer
Jan Michiels performs a key piece from contemporary Belgian piano literature: Dedicatio I by Kris Defoort, nine ‘musical letters’ – poised between jazz and classical, light song culture and lively impressionism – which the composer dedicated to people dear to him. In this concertino, the intimate piano works engage in dialogue with Debussy, Chopin and Janáček.
Themed guided tour: Inspiring Voices
19 October, 10:00-11:30 & 12:00-13:30 • La Monnaie
From Marian Anderson to Whitney Houston, from Leontyne Price to Nina Simone: the history of music is teeming with world singers who have had to battle racism and discrimination in order to display their unique talent. As you look around the La Monnaie Theatre on this guided tour, you will discover the inspirational stories of these pioneers who contributed to a more inclusive and diverse musical world.
Museum Night Fever
19 October, 19:00 – 00:00 – La Monnaie
Explore La Monnaie’s Workshops at night. Stroll through a musical labyrinth where a mini-concert may be waiting around every corner. Expect classical, jazz, pop and traditional – as many genres as The Time of Our Singing has influences.
Concert: A Jazzy Afternoon
20 October, 14:30-18:00 • Fiocco Room
Dim the lights and get in the groove! BXL x LDN Interplay’s young jazz enthusiasts and the Kris Defoort Trio (with Lander Gyselinck and Nicolas Thys as well as the composer) perform original compositions, pop numbers turned inside-out and moments of free improvisation inspired by the location and its atmosphere.
Event: Inside the Music
21 October, 18:30-21:00 • Fiocco Room
Composer Kris Defoort and conductor Kwamé Ryan provide insight into the music of The Time of Our Singing. How do you build a Bachian fugue, a rap number or a sheet of raw jazz? How do you blend all these styles into one powerful musical melange? And how do you smuggle improvisation into a symphony orchestra? That – and everything you want to know about this opera – will be revealed during this fascinating talk by its two musical steersmen.
Talk: Mixed Sounds & Identities: echoes from Brussels
22 September, 19:30-22:00 • Fiocco Room
This open discussion evening organized in collaboration with Brussels Academy, assesses the role of music in forming attitudes to culture, identity and social cohesion in super-diverse Brussels.
La Monnaie is also putting together a special programme for young people and school groups in collaboration with the Maison des Cultures et de la Cohésion Sociale / Huis van Culturen en Sociale Samenhang (Molenbeek). Between 14 and 18 October, young people aged 14 to 18 are invited to explore the themes of The Time of Our Singing and to hone their talents (or even discover new ones!) by taking part in various workshops (voice and movement, slam, video). These workshops can be combined with the Building Bridges performance on 22 October (14:00).
To check the full list of events and more detauls, visit the website of La Monnaie / De Munt.
