Brussels Philharmonic | LAB-SERIES

LAB-SERIES

A SONIC EXPLORATION FOR THE CURIOUS EAR

New sounds. New experiences. New listening. From analog pulses to digital noise: experience music beyond the expected.

concerts

Tickets available from 24 May – Abo: LAB available from 11 June (3 concerts: €60)

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With the LAB-SERIES, the Brussels Philharmonic brings together musical experimentation, interaction, and total experience. Expect bold and eclectic concert nights with unique programmes, pre- and post-concert talks, interactive installations, and immersive listening sessions.

This season, in the LAB-SERIES, conductor and sound explorer Ilan Volkov expands the orchestra’s sound world with electronics. This creative friction opens up a fascinating universe of sonic experimentation, ready to be heard and experienced across a series of concerts, culminating in the Brussels premiere of the Tectonics festival on 19 and 20 June 2026. Take the leap, open your ears, and discover where your curiosity might lead you.

Curious about what’s when? Scroll down for the full schedule and all practical info.

buy your tickets now

BRUSSELS PHILHARMONIC LAB-SERIES at Flagey

Explore the magical world of sound and electronics inside and outside the concert hall.

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CONCERTS

concerts with the Brussels Philharmonic and Vlaams Radiokoor conducted by Ilan Volkov

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SOUNDLAB

interactive installations
Step into our Soundlab: an open space to explore, experiment, and play. Each concert in our LAB-SERIES features a new installation waiting to be discovered and tested—by you.
Provided by Logos Foundation, a professional research and production center for experimental music, musical robotics and audio art.
logosfoundation.org

SCORE SAFARI

pop-up music with live electronics
Join the sonic try-outs before each concert: our musicians experiment with live electronics in a more intimate format. Drop by, tune in, and discover new sounds.

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RAVE LITTLE BELGIUM

lecture & listening session: A Belgian history of early electronic music
Rave Little Belgium is a book (in the making) and a website tracing the history of electronic music in Belgium. Before each concert, founder & editor in chief Koen Galle (music journalist, DJ, label owner, radio host, vinyl collector and electronic music enthusiast) uncovers stories about Belgium's rich electronic music culture during a lecture with an active listening session.
ravelittlebelgium.be

BRUPHIL CAFE

aftertalk with Ilan Volkov: grab a drink, settle into our café, and fire away your questions at conductor Ilan Volkov.

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A SONIC HARVEST

sound artists gathering wild sounds like herbs from an untamed forest
The Brussels Philharmonic invited three young sound artists to create new work for the Tectonics festival at the end of June, inspired by the concerts from the LAB-SERIES. Before, during, and after these concerts, they embark on a wild foraging for sound — collecting noises, voices, textures, with the active or subtle participation of the audience. The result? An installation, a performance, or something in between—premiering at Tectonics.

timetables

LAB #01

BARELY MINIMAL [get tickets]

sat 04.10 FLAGEY

14:00
TBA

CITY WALK
Art deco & Interbellum (Korei Guided Tours - NL/FR)

concert + tour:
€35

18:00
HALL

STREET FOOD
continuous service (until sold out)

18:00
STUDIO 3

SOUNDLAB: INTERACTIVE MUSIC INSTALLATION
Part #01 - Logos Foundation

free

18:30-19:30
STUDIO 1

LECTURE & LISTENING SESSION
From From Expo 58’ to Techno:
a Belgian history of early electronic music Part #01

Koen Galle (Rave Little Belgium) (EN)


lecture &
listening: €5

19:00
STUDIO 2


SCORE SAFARI: LIVE MUSIC SET
Ictus plays Parallels (Tristan Perich)


free

19:30-19:50
FOYER 2


INTRODUCTION
TBA (EN)


free

20:15-21:30
STUDIO 4


CONCERT
with Ilan Volkov & Vlaams Radiokoor


concert: €25
Abo: LAB €60

21:45-22:30
BAR


BRUPHIL CAFÉ: AFTERTALK
aftertalk with Ilan Volkov (EN)


free


Barely Minimal · 04.10.2025 · Brussels Philharmonic LAB @ Flagey

Music stripped to its essence—where sound meets silence, and silence becomes sound. In a world full of noise, minimalism creates space for stillness, and that’s where its power lies.

With this programme, Ilan Volkov questions the idea of ‘minimal’: what do we label as such, and what else—seen from another angle—might also be considered minimal? An experimental evening with electronics and voice as key elements.

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LAB #02

supra natural [buy tickets]

thu 06.11 FLAGEY

18:00
HALL

STREET FOOD
continuous service (until sold out)

18:00
STUDIO 3

SOUNDLAB: INTERACTIVE MUSIC INSTALLATION
Part #02 - Logos Foundation

free

18:30-19:30
STUDIO 1

LECTURE & LISTENING SESSION
From From Expo 58’ to Techno:
a Belgian history of early electronic music Part #02

Koen Galle (Rave Little Belgium) (EN)


lecture &
listening: €5

19:00
STUDIO 2


SCORE SAFARI: LIVE MUSIC SET
Williams Foster plays Slipstream (Florian Magnus Maier)


free

19:30-19:50
FOYER 2


INTRODUCTION
TBA (EN)


free

20:15-21:30
STUDIO 4


CONCERT
with Ilan Volkov & Angélica Castelló


concert: €25
Abo: LAB €60

21:45-22:30
BAR


BRUPHIL CAFÉ: AFTERTALK
aftertalk with Ilan Volkov (EN)


free



Supra Natural · 06.11.2025 · Brussels Philharmonic LAB @ Flagey

Electronics in the concert hall? Think of it as a spark of invisible magic—something mechanical yet alive, opening up the symphonic sound, enriching it, or pushing back against it. Ilan Volkov brings together four composers who let two sound worlds clash and collide—or seamlessly blend.

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LAB #03

Fasten seat belts! [buy tickets]

fri 30.01 FLAGEY

18:00
HALL

STREET FOOD
continuous service (until sold out)

18:00
FOYER 1

EXPO BREWAEYS
Celebrating Luc Brewaeys 2025-26

free

18:00
TBA

SOUNDLAB: INTERACTIVE MUSIC INSTALLATION
Part #03 - Logos Foundation

free

18:30-19:30
STUDIO 1


LECTURE & LISTENING SESSION
From From Expo 58’ to Techno:
a Belgian history of early electronic music Part #03

Koen Galle (Rave Little Belgium) (EN)


lecture & listening: €5

19:00
STUDIO 2


SCORE SAFARI: LIVE MUSIC SET
TBA


free

19:30-19:50
FOYER 2


INTRODUCTION
TBA (EN)


free

20:15-22:15
STUDIO 4


CONCERTwith Ilan Volkov & Samuel Nemtanu


concert: €25
Abo: LAB €60

22:30-23:00
BAR


BRUPHIL CAFÉ: AFTERTALK
aftertalk with Ilan Volkov (EN)


free



Fasten Seat Belts! · 30.01.2026 · Brussels Philharmonic LAB @ Flagey

With Ilan Volkov at the helm, the Brussels Philharmonic presents the Second and Sixth Symphonies by Luc Brewaeys: in the latter, Brewaeys brings together everything he stands for - the vibrant coloration of 20th-century spectralism, a bold orchestral configuration and a confrontation with electronics. Clearly influenced by that élan, Daan Janssens composed a new concerto for violin, orchestra and surround electronics.

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LAB #04

Tectonics festival

fri 19.06 & sat 20.06 at Flagey
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more info soon