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Welcome to
BelArts
A Brussels-based creative collective where musical heritage meets contemporary vision. We don't just perform the past; we evolve it for the audience of today.
News
Artistic Director's Editorial for 2026
CSBFNext/Gen 2026
Open Call
CSBF 2026:
Programme
Re-Coudenberg:
2025 - 2031
Coudenberg Sound Box Fest
Since 2021
Celebrate Belgian heritage...
Experience an unforgettable sonic journey in the underground ruins of Coudenberg Palace. Amidst the remnants of this former royal residence, leading early music artists like Ricercar Consort, Il Gardellino, Scherzi Musicali, and Anthony Romaniuk perform exactly where European history and modern artistry meet.
... way beyond classical music.
Where Early Music meets modern soundscapes. Artistic Director Matteo Gemolo bridges historical heritage with jazz, folk, and electronics, proving early music is a living, contemporary expression. Featuring boundary-pushing artists like Ictus Ensemble, SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet, Sam Lee, and Naomi Berrill.
"Coudenberg Sound Box Fest shatters the barriers between 15th-century music and contemporary experimentation, harnessing the raw acoustics of these ruins that have seen it all (...) to reinvent the listening experience."
Camille Vernin, So Soir, November 2025
Exploring the theme of "War and Peace," the 2026 Coudenberg Sound Box Fest (November–December) transforms the archaeological ruins of the Coudenberg Palace into a stage for reflection. The program bridges historical memory and contemporary innovation, featuring renowned acts like InAlto, AkroPercu, Elias Bachoura, Ensemble Matica de Flor, Ensemble Satellite, and an experimental jazz finale by BeraadGeslagen. This milestone edition introduces "Above and Below" collaborative performances with Bozar (featuring ClubMédiéval and Dionysos Now!), celebrates a new REMAmembership, and hosts a lecture series with ULB and IHEB. Our commitment to the future continues with the NextGen competition, highlighted by a world premiere from Belgian composer Andreas Moulin.
Conferences, art installations & networking
Beyond the stage, CSBF pushes the boundaries of musical heritage through research and international cooperation. Building on a landmark 2025—which featured a musical history symposium with KCB, the immersive Cubiculum Musicae installation alongside CNRS and RicercarLab, and our induction into the REMA European Early Music Network—we continue to bridge history and modernity. Looking ahead to 2026, we will partner with the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) for a new thematic conference exploring the timely dialogue of "War and Peace" in musical history.
"An unforgettable evening, carrying the audience into 16th-century soundscapes with a bold, modern twist."
Emmiko Groenemeijer, Klassiek Centraal, december 2024
ReCoudenberg: Reenacting the Musical Life of a Royal Ghost
Launched in 2025, Re-Coudenberg is an ambitious interdisciplinary project conceived by Artistic Director Matteo Gemolo to reconstruct the musical heritage of the lost Coudenberg Palace. Developed with prestigious partners—including CRB, KCB, Bozar, and CNRS—the cycle merges research, performance, and education. Culminating in the 2030 Bicentennial of Belgium and the 2031 Tricentennial of the palace's destruction, this long-term journey will bring the palace's "musical ghost" to life through high-end recordings, scholarly publications, immersive installations, and digital media.
Stay In Touch.
BelArts asbl/vzw
BE 1017.039.456
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Rue de Woeringenstraat 15
1000 Brussels
Belgium
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