The Maghreb Orchestra of Brussels Inaugural concert - Sanaa Marahati

The Maghreb Orchestra of Brussels makes its debut at Flagey on 7 October 2026 with an inaugural concert featuring Sanaa Marahati, an ambassador of Moroccan vocal traditions, particularly Melhoun and Gharnati. For this first performance, more than thirty musicians, accompanied by around twenty young singers, will take to the stage under the musical direction of Tom Cohen.

Born in Brussels, a city where many musical traditions meet and intertwine, this new ensemble has a distinctive ambition: to bring the musical heritage of the Maghreb into dialogue with symphonic writing, giving this repertoire a new dimension and allowing other musicians to make it their own, both in Brussels and beyond.

Traditionally, Maghreb music is built around a single melodic line, carried collectively by the musicians, each bringing their own artistic sensibility. With the Maghreb Orchestra of Brussels, this line becomes a true orchestral texture: the strings of the Brussels Philharmonic, the oud, qanun, ney, saxophone and other instruments develop different musical lines that respond to one another, intertwine and take shape together.

The young voices on stage are members of the Flagey Academy: around twenty young Brussels singers aged between 8 and 18, under the direction of Zeno Popescu. Their participation grounds this inaugural concert in the reality of Brussels today, while giving the project an essential dimension of cultural and intergenerational transmission.

This evening will be an opportunity to discover a rich and vibrant musical heritage, while witnessing the birth of a project that is set to grow over the years, with the creation of new works at the crossroads of Maghreb musical traditions and symphonic writing.