Annual report 2024: Presentation

Concerts in-house

In 2024, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra produced 70 concerts under its own management, both at the Queen Elisabeth Hall and at other locations across Antwerp, undertaking both the promotion and ticket sales itself.

Front-of-house

The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra manages the entire audience experience for its concerts at the Queen Elisabeth Hall, supported by an extensive team of hosts. This ensures seamless integration between various front-of-house functions during a concert evening, including the sale of programmes and guiding the flow of visitors to pre-concert talks, signing sessions, and meet-and-greets.

Groups

The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra places great value on community groups and associations, which form an essential part of the social landscape in Flanders. In collaboration with local tourism partners, special tailor-made group deals are developed to welcome these organisations.

Through our academic, cultural, and alliance partners, we also reach a significant number of concertgoers, many of whom are visiting a classical music venue for the first time. For businesses located in the vicinity of the Queen Elisabeth Hall, we have developed local 'neighbourhood partnerships', allowing employees to attend selected concerts at discounted rates.

Custodian of the classical repertoire at  the Queen Elisabeth Hall

Elisabeth Klassiek

As the resident orchestra of the Queen Elisabeth Hall, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra also serves as the guardian of the classical repertoire within the 'Golden Hall'. ‘Elisabeth Klassiek’ is the hallmark of quality granted by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra to classical concerts of the highest calibre.

Laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition

As one of the three Belgian musical institutions associated with the name of Queen Elisabeth, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra – as the resident orchestra of the Queen Elisabeth Hall – is proud to offer a platform to laureates and winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. These talented artists have the opportunity to shine on the prestigious stage of the Golden Hall, performing alongside a world-class orchestra.

In January, violinist Bomsori Kim (2015 laureate) was the central guest of the Elisabeth Week and subsequently joined the orchestra on tour in November. Ray Chen (First Prize 2009) and Akiko Suwanai (Second Prize 1989) also performed at the Queen Elisabeth Hall. Pianists Sergei Babayan (1991 laureate) and Elisabeth Leonskaja (1968 laureate) joined the orchestra for performances of piano concertos by Schumann and Rachmaninov. In October, Jan Michiels (1991 laureate) brought the works of artist James Ensor to life as part of the Ensor Year in Antwerp, while Sunhae Im (2000 laureate) performed at the Christmas Gala.

International guest orchestras

In 2024, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Cofena, once again hosted world-renowned international orchestras at its residency. Through this initiative, the orchestra expands the international symphonic offering in Antwerp with a selection of top-tier concerts that complement its own programming, while further strengthening its position within an international context.

These nine concerts also contributed to the prestige of the Queen Elisabeth Hall and enhanced Antwerp's visibility as a city of music on the international circuit. In 2024, we were delighted to welcome the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, National State Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Fundraising and partners

The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra actively involves the business community in its operations, giving companies the opportunity to commit to the orchestra. In addition, 2024 explicitly focused on cooperation with non-artistic partners. These partners can benefit from the orchestra's presence in the Queen Elisabeth Hall and take on an active role as cultural partners. For example, the concerts and masterclass with Simone Lamsma were made possible with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Belgium.

For the seventh year in a row, the orchestra made use of the Tax Shelter, raising €1,985,825 in 2024.

Instruments

Thanks to the generous support of the Entrepreneurs' Circle and the Patron's Guild, both through donations and long-term loans, we were able to continue investing in the development of our orchestral organisation and instrument heritage in 2024. A special acquisition last year was the cimbasso, an instrument ideally suited to the Italian repertoire. The instrument was immediately used successfully at our Annual Gala in September.