Hiraeth with Wouter Vandenabeele

During the 20th anniversary of the Handelsbeurs, discovery and creation are central. The common thread running through the program is a series of musical encounters between different cultures, artists and musical movements. Because new connections often lead to a surprising end result. Read more about the series.

Hiraeth, in search of the melancholic soul

People have been singing about melancholy since time immemorial. With the Portuguese saudade, the Spanish flamenco blues and bittersweet songs from the Balkans, Southern Europe seems to be permeated by it. Violinist Wouter Vandenabeele is looking for it and will make a real Grand Tour in the summer of 2022.

• Follow his joruney here.

In good musical company, he meets local folk artists in ten countries. It will be a wild dive into other cultures and views, with music as the ultimate intermediate language. After three months, the glorious final stop will be in the Handelsbeurs, with a big party together with some musical friends from along the way.