Belgian National Orchestra, Hermus & Meeuwsen

Contrast is the key to this afternoon. In his Third Piano Concerto, Beethoven places tension at the center: dark energy, sharp oppositions, and a piano part that does not embellish but speaks with urgency. Nikola Meeuwsen, winner of the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Competition, brings this work to life with striking clarity, a strong sense of drama, and a hauntingly beautiful Largo at its core. A completely different world unfolds with Anton Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony, one of his most intriguing yet seldom-performed masterpieces. Layered rhythms, harmonic expansion, and an organic architectural flow shape a work that continually surprises. Monumental themes alternate with moments of inward reflection, as the music rises like a vast cathedral of sound.

Under the baton of Antony Hermus, this symphonic Sunday becomes an intense listening experience, where physical presence and pure musicality merge into a focused yet richly rewarding journey.