Vlaams Radiokoor,James MacMillan, Lore Binon sopraan, Adriaan De Koster, Michiel Haspeslagh, Bernard Foccroulle

The Vlaams Radiokoor (Flemish Radio Choir) was founded in 1937 by the Belgian public broadcaster of the day. Today, under the baton of music director Bart Van Reyn, the choir is renowned for vocal music in Flanders and Europe. They share a passion for contemporary repertoire, the belief that the voice is the ultimate interpreter of our emotions, and the commitment to make our vocal heritage accessible.

Sir James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and performs internationally as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music. He enjoys a successful career as a conductor and is praised for the composer’s insight he brings to each score. MacMillan was awarded a CBE in 2004 and a Knighthood in 2015.

Soprano Lore Binon is known as a versatile singer with a fine sense of interpretation. She effortlessly moves between different styles and eras, and enjoys recognition within both historical performance practice and contemporary repertoire. In the 2021/22 season, for example, she shone at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in the title role of Wim Henderickx's De Bekeerlinge.

Tenor Adriaan De Koster specialises in baroque music. As a soloist, he has performed the tenor part in many cantatas and the Magnificat by J.S. Bach, as well as in Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine and Handel's oratorios. He is a much sought-after ensemble singer, with choirs such as graindelavoix, Vox Luminis and Cappella Amsterdam. De Koster is also a regular member of the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Huelgas Ensemble and Utopia Ensemble.

Michiel Haspeslagh is a tenor with the Flemish Radio Choir and freelances with professional ensembles such as Currende (BE) and Orpheus Vokalensemble (DE). As a soloist, he has performed tenor solos in several oratorios. Besides singing, Haspeslagh is mainly active as a conductor with his high-level amateur choirs Clari Cantores (Leuven) and Carmina Kamerkoor (Meise), as well as with the Flemish Radio Choir as a guest conductor and choir rehearsalist.

Bernard Foccroulle began his international career as an organist, playing a wide range of repertoire from renaissance to contemporary music. While continuing his career as organist, he became director of the Brussels opera house La Monnaie in 1992, holding this position until 2007. In 1993, he founded the association Culture and Democracy, which campaigns for widespread participation in cultural life. Foccroulle is also active as composer.