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Festival of Flanders (Dutch : Festival van Vlaanderen) is an annual music event at different locations in Flanders. It started initially as a "Summer Festival", but now its activities are spread from January to May, with a peak in late summer and early autumn. [1] [2]
The Festival of Flanders has its roots in Tongeren, Limburg, where Jan Briers organized the Basilica-concerts from 1958 in the basilica of Tongeren. At first there was played religiously inspired choral music, but soon it was extended to other classical music, instrumental music; and other locations. Often, historical sites such as abbeys and castles are used, with an occasional transfer to Maastricht.
As in other Flemish cities (classical) summer concerts were held as well, they joined forces in 1972 and created the more comprehensive 'Festival of Flanders'.
The organization was actively supported by the newly emancipated Flemish "cultural autonomy". Especially in Brussels they wanted to exhibit "serious" Flemish culture. Partly because of this, they could bring prestigious orchestras and big names to Flanders. At the same time it gave the festival a somewhat elitist character.
In the nineties, they began to see the creation of this one-sided image and so the program was expanded to include contemporary music, sound art, youth, jazz, organ music, musical theater, and cross-overs with visual arts, film, dance.
The Festival of Flanders consists of various festivals spread across different Flemish cities and provinces:
Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish, which can also refer to the collective of Dutch dialects spoken in that area, or more generally the Belgian variant of Standard Dutch.
The Flemish Region, usually simply referred to as Flanders, is one of the three regions of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Covering the northern portion of the country, the Flemish Region is primarily Dutch-speaking. With an area of 13,626 km2 (5,261 sq mi), it accounts for only 45% of Belgium's territory, but 58% of its population. It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around 500/km2 (1,300/sq mi).
Edgar Pierre Joseph Tinel was a Belgian composer and pianist.
The Flemish Diamond is the Flemish reference to a network of four metropolitan areas in Belgium, three of which are in the central provinces of Flanders, together with the Brussels-Capital Region. It consists of four agglomerations which form the four corners of an abstract diamond shape: Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven.
Flemish Sign Language is a deaf sign language of Belgium. It is closely related to French Belgian Sign Language, but they are now generally recognized as distinct languages. VGT is estimated to include around 6,000 sign-language users.
Science and technology in Flanders, being the Flemish Community and more specifically the northern region of Belgium (Europe), is well developed with the presence of several universities and research institutes. These are strongly spread over all Flemish cities, from Kortrijk and Bruges in the Western side, over Ghent as a major university center alongside Antwerp, Brussels and Leuven to Hasselt and Diepenbeek in the Eastern side.
Maurits Sabbe, born Maurice Charles Marie Guillaume Sabbe, was a Flemish man of letters and educator who became curator of the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp.
Walter Hus is a Belgian composer and musician.
Kortrijk, sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray, is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders.
Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the city of Mechelen.
Nostalgie Vlaanderen(Nostalgie Flanders) is a private Belgian radio station broadcasting in Flanders and Brussels but can also be heard in some parts of Wallonia, and is dedicated to mainly music of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Nostalgie Flanders is created on 20 March 2008, and is owned by Concentra Group, Corelio NV and the NRJ Group.
Luc Rombouts is a Belgian carillonneur and author. He is the city carillonneur of Tienen in Flemish Brabant. He is also the official carillonneur of both Leuven University carillons and the Park Abbey. He has given numerous concerts in Europe and the US and appeared in festivals and conventions. Together with Twan Bearda he performs in a carillon duet called The Bells' Angels, exploring, expanding and performing four hand carillon repertoire.
The Augustinian Convent of Bethany existed in Mechelen, Belgium, from 1421 to 1783. It belonged to the Congregation of Windesheim.
Annelies Van Parys is a Belgian classical composer of chamber music, symphonic music, music for theatre productions and opera.
Lambrecht Lambrechts was a Flemish writer and poet. He also published under the pseudonyms RL Doornkapper, Jan van Hasselt and J. Herten.
The Canon of Flanders is a list of key developments in the history of the Flemish Region of Belgium, as exemplified by particularly striking people, places, events or artefacts, drawn up by a committee of nine experts appointed by the regional government of Flanders. Although this was widely perceived to be a politically motivated attempt to boost a sense of distinctively 'Flemish' identity, the committee responsible for drawing up the 'canon' insisted that their work was free of political considerations.
Joris Vandenbroucke is a Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives. A member of Vooruit, he has represented East Flanders since June 2019. He was a member of the Flemish Parliament from June 2005 to June 2009 and from June 2014 to May 2019.
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