music theatre in flanders - Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen

ProFIles oF FleMIsH MUsIc THeaTre coMPanIes 82
about vTi 117
about Flanders Music centre 121
colophon 124
We also refer to the article Music Theatre in Flanders – some
tendencies by musicologist and critic Maarten Beirens:
Beirens, Maarten. “Music Theatre in Flanders - some Tendencies”.
Flemish Music Theatre since 1950 (Contemporary Music in
Flanders V). Edited by Mark Delaere and Veronique Verspeurt.
Leuven: Matrix – New Music Documentation Centre, 2008: 12-25.
www.arts.kuleuven.be/matrix/images/flemish%20music%20
theatre.pdf
Introduction
In June 2009, four Flemish companies – Flanders Opera, deSingel,
LOD, Muziektheater Transparant – join forces for OPERA XXI, a new
biennial contemporary music theatre festival (including opera, music
theatre and musical). With meetings, exchanges and discussions in
the context of this festival, VTi (Centre for the Performing Arts) and
Flanders Music Centre – the support centres for the performing
arts and music in Flanders – want to spark off the debate about
Flemish music theatre in its international context.
To this end, both our institutes will organize an international
congress weekend – with meetings, performances, lectures and
debates on the contemporary music scene in Flanders and Europe.
A number of prominent artists, including Heiner Goebbels, will
speak about their fascination with music theatre.
Furthermore, we would like to use the opportunity to present
the work of some key players in today’s music theatre landscape.
On VTi’s website (www.vti.be/muziektheater), video clips with
excerpts from major productions will be available. In this booklet,
profiles of a number of Flemish music theatre companies
will be presented, but before that, some major developments in
Flemish music theatre since the 1980s will be examined. With a
strong sense of historical background, a number of authors zoom
in on current issues in relation to music theatre today: trends in
music theatre production, definitions of music theatre in relation
to cultural policy, education, the place of the composer in music
theatre production, the international dimension, the relationship
between music theatre and the audience.
How do we expect cultural policy to categorize a hybrid ‘genre’
such as music theatre? Is the international (festival) circuit open
enough to young and emerging artists? How can the artistic sym-
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