Barbara Hannigan, Equilibrium Young Artists & LUDWIG Orchestra

A very warm welcome to Klarafestival!

Flanders Festival Brussels, Klara and our partners are delighted to greet you once again. “I believe audiences aren’t just listening. They are actively contributing”, festival artist Barbara Hannigan remarked in an interview. Concerts are an interaction between the audience, artists and anyone who is contributing to those magic moments in front of or behind the scenes. Together we ‘become’ music. 

As a conductor and soprano, Hannigan is a global reference point. With her, classical music becomes a contemporary and unique experience. This is an inspiration to Klarafestival as the largest broadcast festival in Belgium. Her versatile talent is sure to enrapture you, as is that of the many Belgian and international artists who connect past and present with musical stories.

Klarafestival opens in style with Hannigan as conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. After that, you will hear and see her with young musicians from her mentorship project Equilibrium Young Artists. In no fewer than 25 concerts, we present top talent including Les Talens Lyriques, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and Vilde Frang, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with Víkingur Ólafsson. Klarafestival also treasures creation. The film concert Reich/Richter as a symbiosis of Gerhard Richter’s paintings and the music of Steve Reich; the creation Counterforces by composer Frederik Croene to text by poet Dominique de Groen; and the music theatre production Prey by Kris Verdonck with a composition by Annelies Van Parys will surprise you!

This and all other concerts are possible thanks to the collaboration with our cultural partners: Bozar, Flagey, Kaaitheater, Théâtre Varia, Muntpunt, Concertgebouw Brugge and DE SINGEL. Thanks to our private partners KPMG, Proximus, Brewery Omer Vander Ghinste, Belfius, Interparking and the players of Belgium’s National Lottery. We are grateful for the support of the Flemish Community and the Brussels Capital Region. And finally, thanks to Klara and VRT: there would be no broadcast festival without their valued collaboration.

Joost Fonteyne

Intendant Klarafestival

On 16 March, festival artist Barbara Hannigan will be surrounding herself on the stage at Flagey with members of her Equilibrium Young Artists programme. Together they colour the evening with French impressionist strokes. Dramaturge Lalina Goddard spoke to Equilibrium members Emma Posman (soprano) and Rolf Verbeek (conductor).

What are you working on at the moment?

Emma: I’m currently rehearsing at La Monnaie for the new opera Solar, an opera that connects two Greek myths to a contemporary issue. The opera is written by Howard Moody and directed by Benoit de Leersnyder. I sing the role of Talus, who is thrown from a rock by his jealous uncle and then transformed into a bird. I think it’s an absolutely lovely role.

Rolf: I’m preparing a project with music by Poulenc as conductor of the Camerata RCO, an ensemble formed of members of the Concertgebouw orchestra. In the coming weeks I am on tour with Barbara and the London Symphony Orchestra. As you know, we’ll be visiting Brussels soon, for the opening evening of Klarafestival!

So you have a busy diary. And then you’re also our guests at Klarafestival on 16 March, together with Barbara Hannigan and other members of her Equilibrium Young Artists programme. She explicitly describes the selection process as not an audition. How was that experience for you?

Emma: We didn’t know what to expect in advance. 25 of us candidates were ushered in at the same time and we all had to play games with one another. I think they were carefully watching how you reacted, how you interacted with one another. The singing audition was also done very differently to normal, because we all sang in front of one another. Afterwards the other participants were asked for feedback. Initially I was rather shocked by this, but actually it was a really positive experience. You learn a huge amount from it, and everyone was very kind to one another. To prepare for the audition day, we were told to follow sport coach Jacky Reardon’s ‘Discover program’ on the website Friendly Eyes. In it she makes the comparison between classical music and sport. Perhaps we don’t think about it that often, but actually giving a concert is extremely similar to playing a tennis match: we also have moments of ‘peak performance’ on stage when you have to give the best of yourself. At that moment your head must be empty so that you can concentrate fully on your performance.

How do you do that?

Emma: laughs. There are various ways in which you can do that. By looking kindly at yourself, by switching off that inner, self-critical voice while you’re singing. Basically it’s about finding the right balance; on the one hand you want to strive to get the best out of your performance. If you’re not trained in that, you always think: “oh no, that just went wrong”, while you’re in the middle of a performance. So it’s about a kind of friendliness towards yourself and others.

How does that work for you as a conductor, Rolf?

Rolf: It’s actually exactly as Emma describes. It’s only when you look at yourself with those friendly eyes that you can fully develop yourself. Then you can take that extra step during a concert with everyone there, that X-factor. And of course, that step is inside someone’s head. As a conductor, it is equally the case that if you make a mistake, you can get stuck with it. Although it’s perhaps less obvious than with a singer, as I don’t produce any sound, and yet you must never forget that you are constantly producing output.

And how was your ‘audition? Were you standing there conducting along with 25 other candidates?

Rolf: laughs. No, fortunately not. When I researched Equilibrium Young Artists, I only found auditions for singers, so I sent Barbara a message asking her if I could also take part as a conductor. She then invited me to attend a rehearsal of The Rake’s Progress in Amsterdam. Some time later, I got another message from her saying that her assistant had cancelled and asking whether I knew the work well. I then studied the music like crazy and since then I have gone with her more and more often as assistant conductor.

When you look back at this journey, what has Barbara Hannigan given you?

Rolf: Barbara is someone that can make music from every squeak and crack. I think that in the way I have worked with her, I have learned to seek out the depth of the music, at every level: not only the story, the feeling, but also in terms of atmosphere. She’s a real magician at that.

Emma: For me it was also the depth that she sought out in her interpretation. She studied the music right down to the finest detail. But also the way in which she leads her life. We are in a profession where we are constantly travelling, but amid the hectic pace she seems to have found a kind of tranquillity. She exudes calm and spontaneity both on and off stage, and at the same time maintains an incredible focus. For my first concert with her I was so nervous, but once I was on stage with her, the stress fell from my shoulders. I was then able to feel completely at home, there on that stage. I think she has that effect on a great many people.

Rolf: I think that her strength indeed lies in the honesty with which she stands on a stage. Before you had those authoritarian conductors who would brook no contradiction. She is the diametric opposite of that. She makes music with everyone. She is a connector, and as a result you feel extremely safe, as Emma says. I certainly take this honesty with me in my own practice as a conductor. In fact it is above all the case that you have to conduct as you are. The fact that you are authentic, that you dare to be yourself. And you trust that in so doing you’ll also take others with you. Everyone sitting in front of you is of equal value. That may sound self-evident, but an orchestra is still often seen as an instrument, controlled by the conductor.

At Klarafestival each of you will be performing part of the impressionist programme Music among Friends. What frees up the music of Stravinsky and Delage in you?

Emma: I love the short, atmospheric and light-hearted poems that Stravinsky set to music in his Trois poésies de la lyrique japonaise and his Deux poésies de Konstantin Balmont. For example, I sing a song about how a dove charms a flower, flies away, and how the sad flower is left behind alone. As a singer I mostly sing with a piano or orchestra, so it is special for me to perform chamber music for a change. In these songs, Stravinsky creates a highly imaginative, unique sound world.

Rolf: Maurice Delage wrote his Quatre poèmes hindous after visiting India in 1912, so the music is punctuated with Indian influences. The stories are also very beautiful. The second movement, for example, is about a pine tree in the Far North. He falls asleep under a blanket of snow and dreams of a palm tree at the coast. I find that such a lovely idea. The music is very painterly and richly coloured. I am also absolutely delighted that I will be conducting Barbara

Are you excited about that?

Rolf: Excited, yes, but in a good way. At that moment you have all your antennae on high alert. You are sharing the stage with such talented musicians and you just want to do your job well. So above all, I’m really looking forward to it!

What else is on the horizon for you?

Rolf: After the summer I’m making my debut with both the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest and the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest. I’m really looking forward to that.

Emma: After Solar I’ll be singing the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi for the first time!

Rolf: That’s fantastic, Emma!

You both have some great plans, I can see. Good luck, and see you at Klarafestival!

LUDWIG Orchestra

LUDWIG's programming is as thoroughly thought out as it is adventurous. Artistic Director Peppie Wiersma effortlessly brings together composers from different time periods, styles, and backgrounds. The musicians perform to the highest possible standard, and often interact directly with their audience and experiment with different forms of presentation and art disciplines. Since the very beginning they maintain a warm collaboration with Barbara Hannigan. In 2022, LUDWIG launched the brand-new multidisciplinary festival Through the Looking Glass.

Barbara Hannigan

Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. Her artistic colleagues include, among others, Simon Rattle, Sasha Waltz, Kent Nagano and Vladimir Jurowski. Hannigan has given the world première performances of over 85 new creations and has won numerous awards, such as the Dresdner Musikfestspiele Glashütte Award. In autumn 2022, she received France’s Officier des Arts et des Lettres distinction and was named Gramophone Magazine’s Artist of the Year.

Rolf Verbeek

Rolf Verbeek has conducted a large number of orchestras, including the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, the South Netherlands Philharmonic and Phion. He has also led productions at Opera Zuid and the Dutch National Opera Academy. Since 2019 he has been attached as a conductor to the Camerata RCO (founded by members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) for which he created many adaptations and last year recorded two CDs. As Equilibrium Young Artist, he holds the position of assistant conductor for Barbara Hannigan who also takes on the role of mentor.

Emma Posman

Soprano Emma Posman achieved international success after her stand-out performance at the Salzburger Festspiele as Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute). She received the Caecilia Award for young artist in 2018, and in 20-21 was a member of the young ensemble in the Grand Théâtre de Genève. At La Monnaie she has sung roles in productions including Il Trittico, Pikovaya Dama and Solar. At OBV she sung in De Keersmaeker’s Mozart Concert Arias. As Equilibrium Young Artist she is mentored by Barbara Hannigan. She will soon appear as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi.

Ema Nikolovska

Mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska joined  the  International  Opera  Studio  at  the Staatsoper  Unter  den  Linden  in  2020 where she sang several roles including Second Lady/Die Zauberflöte, Schäferin/Jenůfa and Giovanna/Rigoletto. This season, she returns to sing her debut as Octavian/Der Rosenkavalier. She was a BBC New Generation Artist and in 2022, she received the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. In concert, a recent highlight was Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri with the Staatskapelle Berlin led by Marc Minkowski.

17.03.2023 — 19:00

Bozar, Studio

Docu I’m a creative animal 

+ exclusive aftertalk with Barbara Hannigan & Joost Fonteyne