Bozar’s new season aims to reconnect audiences through shared experiences
Bozar unveiled its 2026-2027 music season on Tuesday, placing “reconnection” and “reassembling” at the centre of its programme. The Brussels arts centre said the new season is intended as a response to growing social and political fragmentation, bringing together different voices, disciplines and artistic traditions.
“In a time of polarisation, Bozar resolutely opts for polyphony, live encounters, and the power of art as a space for imagination, dialogue and shared experience,” the management said during the season presentation.
At the heart of the programme is South African artist William Kentridge, Bozar’s major guest for the season. Known for combining drawing, theatre, film, opera and political reflection in his work, Kentridge embodies the institution’s theme of “polyphony”, the weaving together of fragments, stories and perspectives into new ways of seeing the world.
Alongside musical performances, Bozar will stage a major Kentridge exhibition, I am not me, the horse is not mine, bringing together drawings, animated films, installations and video works spanning more than four decades. The exhibition will also highlight his collaborative and performative practice, closely tied to questions of history, memory and political change.
From avant-garde jazz to experimental electronics
The season ranges widely across classical music, jazz and experimental projects. Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir will feature prominently, with her work appearing in no fewer than seven programmes. Other highlighted artists include soprano Jeanine De Bique, pianist Pavel Kolesnikov and electronic music pioneer Jlin.
The Belgian National Orchestra is set to present four large-scale productions, including Metaxis, an immersive project in Brussels’ Ravenstein Gallery. Bozar will also launch Echoes of Brussels, a new initiative exploring what it describes as the “musical soul” of the capital.
The programme includes a strong international line-up, featuring pianists Grigory Sokolov and Hélène Grimaud, as well as Canadian virtuoso Bruce Liu. Experimental and cross-disciplinary projects will feature artists such as William Basinski, Sega Bodega and Okkyung Lee.
"Unique tribute"
Jazz will also play a central role in the season, particularly through a tribute to John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane. Bozar and Ancienne Belgique are joining forces for what the institution described as a “unique tribute” to the avant-garde jazz couple, marking the centenary of John Coltrane’s birth in 2026.
Russian composer Igor Stravinsky will also receive special attention in February 2027, when the Belgian National Orchestra performs two concerts dedicated to his work.
The season additionally includes a visually ambitious staging of Schubert’s Winterreise, created by Kentridge alongside baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Markus Hinterhäuser.
The Henry Le Boeuf hall at Bozar. © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
Related news
