Koi Collective & Goggles

Koi Collective was established in 2020 by saxophonist Maarten Vergauwen and pianist Emmy Wils. Its primary focus is the performance of repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries, placing significant emphasis on Belgian compositions as well as lesser-known works from both domestic and international sources. The collective’s mission is to demonstrate the extent of remarkable music that has been composed in recent years, asserting its accessibility to a broad audience. Koi Collective is passionate about collaborating with (young) composers, as the act of creation constitutes a vital element of their identity. 

The energetic and playful duo Goggles, comprising percussionist Wim Pelgrims and soprano Esther-Elisabeth Rispens, take the audience on a journey of sparkling, effervescent joy through a theatrical contemporary music repertoire. Always drawing on a strong narrative, Goggles surprises audiences with two energetic performers who are constantly seeking to push the boundaries of contemporary music.

Michiel De Naegel began his musical journey with clarinet lessons, but soon swapped that instrument for the guitar. De Naegel obtained his master’s degree in art history, specialising in musicology, at Ghent University, and his master’s in composition at the Ghent Conservatoire under Lucien Posmans and Daan Janssens. With his delightfully eccentric alter ego Joeri Chipsvingers, he released his second album, Neem en eet hiervan, in 2026 with the Nemø Ensemble. Previously, De Naegel played metal with 30,000 Monkies and noise with Youff. 

Composer Siebe Thijs is fascinated by sound and the inexhaustible layers of meaning and associations associated with it. He explores the role of instruments, objects and the human body, as well as the relationships between them. Recent works have been created by, for and with, amongst others, I SOLISTI, Muziektheater Transparant, MA Festival and Extended Music Collective. Thijs studied composition in Ghent, Antwerp and Austria with Bram Van Camp, Wim Henderickx and Clemens Gadenstätter.

Maya Verlaak is a Belgian composer dedicated to the art of reinvention, who studied in The Hague and Birmingham. She treats each commission as a deep research project, which often results in the development of custom software or physical objects. Central to her practice is a focus on transparency: through her unique, custom-built notation and communication systems, Verlaak provides performers with essential and profound insight into the architecture of her work.