What would an orchestra look like if it were invented in Brussels today?

What does Europe's most cosmopolitan city sound like? These questions are at the heart of Sound of Brussels Orchestra, a project by KlaraFestival in collaboration with cultural partners from throughout the capital.

This exceptional orchestra brings together Brussels-based musicians from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year they unite to let their musical traditions, practices and visions resonate and clash against the backdrop of Brussels and its hyper-diversity. Averse to pigeonholing, traditional expectations and hierarchy, they will express how Brussels lives and plays today: collective, innovative and headstrong. Together they create an entirely new repertoire, without relying on scores or a fixed organisational structure, guided and inspired by saxophonist and composer Fabrizio Cassol and cellist Adèle Viret.

On 22 March 2025, the outcome of this remarkable experiment was presented for the first time at Klarafestival, following a residency at De Vaartkapoen. In 2026, the ensemble grew from 8 to 10 musicians and the full group came together at Ancienne Belgique for a new residency. The result of their multi-year search for the unique sound of our capital can be experienced on Car-Free Sunday, 20 September 2026, at AB.