Brussels Philharmonic | Surround XL in care homes

Surround XL in care homes

livestream in care homes

Surround XL has been selected for Cultuurconnect’s 2026–2027 livestream season. The two concerts on Friday 27 February will be recorded by Cultuurconnect and broadcast afterwards in local care homes. In this way, we reach more vulnerable audiences and bring the music to them, instead of having them come to the music.

To make the experience as immersive as possible, the camera crew will position themselves, just like the audience, among the musicians. Warm, heartfelt reactions guaranteed!

livestream season Cultuurconnect: 2026-2027

Surround XL

With Surround XL, the Brussels Philharmonic flips the script. Forget the usual distance between the audience and the musicians—this isn’t your typical concert hall experience. This time, the conductor stands at the centre, the orchestra forming a circle around them. The audience sits between the musicians, right at the heart of the music. You feel the vibrations of the strings, hear the breath of the wind section, and catch every nuance from up close.
This is the experience we want to share with our digital audience in care homes across Brussels and Flanders. With cameras and microphones placed among the orchestra and audience, we bring them right into the heart of the music—delivering the experience directly to them.

The value and importance of culture extend to residents in care homes as well. They, too, look forward to moments that stand out from the everyday. A new experience or fresh perspective can bring colour and meaning to daily life. The on-site setting—including our red carpet—adds an extra layer to the occasion. It’s not simply about watching a broadcast together on a big screen; it becomes a complete cultural event. Culture truly enters the care home.

Ingrid De Scheirder, Home Diepenbroek (Wetteren)

an initiative by cultuurconnect

Older people living in residential care facilities also want to feel connected to cultural life. Cultuurconnect (the digital support platform for cultural and community centres) responds to this need by offering a livestream programme that connects cultural venues with care homes across Flanders and Brussels.

The performance will take place at Tour & Taxis and will be streamed, in collaboration with Cultuurconnect, the VGC and cultural partners, to residential care centres. The centres themselves shape the local experience into a full event: distributing flyers and posters, and even symbolically tearing tickets just before the stream begins. The cultural partner also provides technical support, including sound amplification, a large screen and atmospheric lighting.

an extra dimesion

360° Cameras and 3D Sound

For Surround XL, the experience goes one step further. Thanks to a 360° camera setup, with cameras placed between audience and orchestra, viewers in care homes receive an immersive experience, as if they're there in person.

And for residents or patients watching the prerecorded livestream in their rooms with headphones, there is an added highlight: a binaural sound mix. This technology creates a fully immersive 3D audio experience through ordinary headphones or earbuds. You can clearly sense where everyone is positioned: the violin behind you on the left, the trombone right in front of you, presenter Bent Van Looy almost within arm’s reach.

SURROUND XL

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SURROUND XL PRERECORDED STREAM

stream on Tuesday 21 April (or on-demand)

  • 14:15 Start of the prerecorded livestream.
  • 14:25 Live interaction with the artist.
  • 14:30 Concert begins.
  • 15:30 End of the performance. Photos from the different care homes will appear on screen.
  • 15:45 End of the stream.

2025 Brussels Philharmonic Surround XL c Wouter Van Vaerenbergh 62

Music for Community

Read our contribution to the book 'Klank van verbinding', about participatory music practices and social action in Flanders and Brussels.

At Brussels Philharmonic vzw, we stand for an artistic mission as well as a broader social commitment. Society is diverse and changes at great speed, and as an orchestra we transform along with it. What moves people today? What conversations matter? And how can music give them resonance? In this article, we share how that ongoing search shapes our reflection, growth, and practice.

2 backstage build up 2025 Brussels Philharmonic Surround XL c Wouter Van Vaerenbergh 11

Surround XL · 27.02.2026 · Maison de la Poste

With Surround XL, the Brussels Philharmonic flips the script. Forget about the usual distance between the audience and the musicians—this isn’t your typical concert hall experience... Imagine this: the musicians form a wide circle around the conductor, and you're not confined to the back row. You're thrust into the center of the action, surrounded by the vibrant pulse of the music. Feel every electrifying vibration of the strings, every bold exhale of the wind instruments—as if you're part of the performance.

2 backstage build up 2025 Brussels Philharmonic Surround XL c Wouter Van Vaerenbergh 11

Surround XL · 27.02.2026 · Maison de la Poste

With Surround XL, the Brussels Philharmonic flips the script. Forget about the usual distance between the audience and the musicians—this isn’t your typical concert hall experience... Imagine this: the musicians form a wide circle around the conductor, and you're not confined to the back row. You're thrust into the center of the action, surrounded by the vibrant pulse of the music. Feel every electrifying vibration of the strings, every bold exhale of the wind instruments—as if you're part of the performance.

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