Symphony No. 2

Wim Henderickx composed Symphony No. 2 in 2016, commissioned by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (deFilharmonie), where he had been artist-in-residence since 2013. It was the orchestra's first world premiere in the new Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp (March 2016). This symphony is about the grand, the intangible, the supernatural. Aquarius' Dream refers to hope and to people who look to the future. This extensive symphonic work is inspired by the celestial bodies and also refers to the relationship between humans and the divine, the cosmos and beyond. It consists of three large movements, each separated by an interlude inspired by dreams. Aquarius' Dream is also the title of the third and final movement, Aquarius' Dream. Soprano Claron McFadden performs solo opposite the symphony orchestra. The electronics serve as a complement and counterpoint to the orchestra. Symphony No. 2 consists of: Prologue (electronics) I: O Magnum Mysterium Dream 1 (electronics - orchestra - soprano) II: Pulses of the Earth Dream 2 (electronics - orchestra - soprano) III: Aquarius' Dream Epilogue (electronics) With this symphony, Wim Henderickx attempts, as in his Symphony No. 1, to reconcile the grand symphonic form of the past with a contemporary interpretation of it. Through the staging, the spatial arrangement of the orchestra and the electronics, the audience was immersed in a broad sensory experience of sound, time and space. Wim Henderickx called it “A SYMPHONY OF SOUND, SPACE & LIGHT”. Co-producer Muziektheater Transparant engaged Luigi De Angelis and Sergio Policicchio for the visual concept and lighting design.