In this edition of Voices of Passion, we weave a polyphonic web that unfolds from the Low Countries. A refined soundscape stretching from the Iberian Peninsula to the north of present-day Great Britain. Sixteenth-century Europe rolled out the red carpet for Franco-Flemish polyphony: an ever-evolving tradition that had been asserting itself at the pinnacle of compositional and performing ingenuity for decades.

What gradually took root in our regions had spread its branches from Leiden to Madrid, Munich and even Scotland. The result was a musical ecosystem in which local talent came into contact with musicians from other regions, and in which voices, styles and ideas met and influenced one another.

Discover how Franco-Flemish composers in the sixteenth century travelled along international routes, finding fertile ground wherever they went. With them came music, preserved in manuscript and in print, resounding in numerous urban centres, at princely courts, and in chapels, churches, and cathedrals.

Leuven and polyphony have been intertwined for centuries. Together with the Alamire Foundation, 30CC is putting this tradition, alongside contemporary knowledge and performance practice, in the spotlight during the Voices of Passion festival.

co-production Alamire Foundation & 30CC