Strings of Breath (world premiere) 12-03-26

do 12 mrt '26

Soundscapes between East and West

19:00 - Film Breaking The Silence (1995)

In this documentary by Dutch filmmaker Eline Flipse, we are introduced to five Chinese composers who most vividly represent how artists can integrate their shared cultural background into their present-day lives - each in a wholly personal way. The film unfolds across a triangle of places: New York (the 'new world'), Paris (the old Europe) and China.

In 1978, thousands of students applied to the Beijing Conservatory; only two hundred were admitted. China’s 'Open Door' policy had just ended a dramatic chapter in its history, and most students carried almost no cultural baggage. The now internationally acclaimed composer Tan Dun, living in New York, had never seen a violin before the age of twenty; he had only heard the compulsory model operas.

20:30 Interview with Eline Flipse, Wu Na & Jeroen Van Herzeele

21:00 Concert from Wu Na & Jeroen Van Herzeele - festival creation

During their Ha Concerts residency, Wu Na and Jeroen Van Herzeele develop a singular performance born from their search for deeper connections between Chinese and Western musical worlds. A cross-cultural creation where both musicians uncover together the resonant threads linking both worlds.

Belgian saxophonist Jeroen Van Herzeele and Chinese guqin innovator Wu Na join forces for a unique artistic residency at Ha Concerts in March 2026. Both artists are restless explorers: Wu Na expands the ancient guqin into contemporary sound worlds through improvisation, cross-genre collaboration, and fearless experimentation, while Van Herzeele continuously reshapes his musical language by blending acoustic saxophone with EWI, modular synths, and global influences.

Who's who?

WU NA is an award-winning guqin virtuoso celebrated for expanding the ancient instrument into the realm of contemporary music. Trained from the age of nine, she graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music as China’s first musician to earn a Master’s degree in guqin performance. Her dual foundation in Chinese and Western music fuels adventurous collaborations across jazz, rock, experimental and classical scenes, working with artists such as Liu Sola, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Echo Ho, Cui Jian, and Li Daiguo.

JEROEN VAN HERZEELE is a versatile Belgian saxophonist whose musical journey began with jazz standards at an early age. After starting with classical saxophone, he soon gravitated toward jazz, studying at the Antwerp Jazzstudio and immersing himself in workshops and improvisation. His career spans a wide spectrum of styles—from bebop and American free jazz to cross-cultural fusion—always driven by a search for sound that is intimate, spiritual, and instinctive.

SARAH YU ZEEBROEK is a visual artist, illustrator, and musician. Trained as an illustrator, she creates both personal projects and commissioned work for newspapers,magazines, theatre companies, cultural centers, museums, and music groups.

ELINE FLIPSE is an award-winning Dutch documentary filmmaker known for her intimate, poetic, and observational approach to storytelling. Her work often explores the inner worlds of artists, musicians, and individuals living on the margins, revealing the emotional and psychological layers beneath daily life. Flipse gained international recognition with films such as The Sound of Silence (Broken Silence) and has screened at major festivals worldwide. Her documentaries are marked by their sensitivity, visual refinement, and deep human insight, making her a distinctive voice in contemporary documentary cinema.

TAN DUN is an internationally acclaimed Chinese composer and conductor whose work bridges Eastern and Western musical traditions with striking originality. Born in Hunan, he rose to prominence after studying at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and later at Columbia University in New York. Tan Dun is best known for his innovative use of organic materials, multimedia, ritual, and non-traditional performance techniques.