B'Rock
Baroque orchestra B'Rock was founded in 2005 by harpsichord player, composer and conductor Frank Agsteribbe and double bass player Tom Devaere. The orchestra is located in Ghent - Flanders.
B'Rock started out of a desire for renewal and rejuvenation in the world of early music. B'Rock is an internationally orientated group without a permanent conductor or artistic leader. The core of the orchestra consists of some twenty young musicians who have specialised in historical informed performance practice.
B'Rock stands for a presentation of early music that focuses on performance and style, whereby expression and intensity come first. In its programmes B'Rock combines the standard Baroque literature with less familiar repertory from the 17th and 18th centuries. The orchestra also pays special attention to the performance and creation of contemporary music tailored to its period instruments and often commissions renowned composers such as Uri Caine or Dominique Pauwels to write for the group.
Opera and adventurous music theatre form an important part of its artistic field. In 2006 B'Rock created a new version of "Dido & Aeneas" (Purcell) conducted by Richard Egarr in an internationally praised production by the Belgian theatre director Jan Decorte. In 2007 the orchestra created "La Senna Festeggiante" (Vivaldi) conducted by the Spanish specialist Eduardo Lopèz Banzo for the Singel in Antwerp and the Utrecht Early Music Festival. In 2008 B'Rock collaborated with Transparant for the creation of the Monteverdi madrigal production 'Where is my Soul?' conducted by Skip Sempé, on commission of music centre the Bijloke in Ghent. In March 2009 B'Rock created a new oratorium based on the gospel of Judas: "Judaspassion" (D. Pauwels).
Baroque orchestra B'Rock regularly collaborates with leading conductors such as Gary Cooper, Richard Egarr, Skip Sempé, Eduardo Lopèz Banzo, Alfredo Bernardini or Vittorio Ghielmi. Since 2008 also the Belgian rising-conductor Frank Agsteribbe regularly conducts the band. Regarding their collaboration with soloists, B'Rock opts for young but highly talented people such as Philippe Jaroussky, Johannes Weisser, Maarten Engeltjes, Sunhae Im, Gary Cooper etc.
B'Rock plays about thirty concerts a season, as well in Belgium as abroad: in Ghent (Music Centre the Bijloke Flanders festival Ghent), Brussels (Bozar, Kaaitheater, Klarafestival), Antwerp (deSingel, Amuz), Bruges (Concertgebouw, MAfestival), Liège (Philarmonie), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Utrecht (Early Music Festival Utrecht), Rotterdam (De Doelen), Berlin (Tage alter Musik and Radialsystem), Regensburg (Tage alter Musik), Innsbruck (Musik+ and Innsbrucker Festwochen), Potsdam (Nicolaisaal). In March 2009 B'Rock has toured in South-Africa.
Last season, 2009-2010, B’Rock made it’s debut in the Innsbrucker Festwochen (on special demand of René Jacobs), in Philharmonie (Luik) and in the Royal Wigmore Hall in London (on invitation of Gary Cooper). In January 2010 B’Rock created of a new hybrid concertproject 'Lecture Songs', together with LOD.
From the start baroque orchestra B'Rock was unanimously praised by the national as well as the international press.
B'Rock is supported by the Flemish Society, the City of Ghent and the Province East-Flanders.
