The Antwerp Symphony will pay tribute to the deep connection between nature and music under the baton of Jun Märkl. Vaughan Williams’s The lark ascending is an absolute masterpiece for violin and will be performed on this occasion by Elisabeth Competition laureate Akiko Suwanai. The winter splendour of Ysaÿes Chant d’hiver will be supplemented with the healing song of the nightingale in Stravinsky’s Le Chant du rossignol and the festive Italian magnificence of Respighi’s Pini di Roma. Cosmic force is the main thrust of Uzu, Toshio Hosokawa’s experiential work, which was inspired by traditional Japanese shô music. The orchestra is divided into several groups, both on and off stage, among the audience. That way the audience is surrounded by music: a memorable, immersive experience.