Jeanine De Bique
Artist in residence in Brussels
With her sights set beyond the horizon, Jeanine De Bique moved from Trinidad to New York in her early twenties. Two decades later, the soprano is touring the globe with Mozart and Handel as her permanent companions, as well as a clear commitment to guide her : bringing together the old masters of European classical music and her Caribbean heritage. This season, you can hear her magnificent voice in no fewer than six productions in Brussels, at both Bozar and La Monnaie.
Silent Stories: A Grain of light
Jeanine De Bique & Aäron Wajnberg
12.9.2026 • 20:00 • Fiocco room (La Monnaie Workshops)
Evoking the painful history of slavery as well as her contemporary perspective on Black identity, the Trinidadian soprano moves between Caribbean traditionals, African American spirituals, gospel songs by H.T. Burleigh and the poetry of Toni Morrison set to music by André Previn.
Roméo et Juliette
Charles Gounod
29.9 – 17.10.2026 • La Monnaie
For her long-awaited scenic debut at La Monnaie, Jeanine De Bique takes on the female title role in Charles Gounod’s grand opéra Romeo and Juliet.
Echoes Across the Atlantic
Apollo’s Fire & Jeanine De Bique
18.11.2026 • 20:00 • Salle Henry Le Bœuf (Bozar)
Jeanine De Bique joins the Grammy-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire and conductor Jeannette Sorrell to explore the historical connections between Europe and the Caribbean colonies in the eighteenth century. Across the waters, tales of love, despair and resilience emerge – with surprising resonance for today.
Mozart
Freiburger Barockorchester & Jeanine de Bique
10.1.2027 • 19:00 • Salle Henry Le Bœuf (Bozar)
The Freiburger Barockorchester, which has made the authentic performance of eighteenth-century music its speciality, will play Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and his epic final ‘Jupiter’ Symphony, before accompanying Jeanine De Bique for a selection of arias from the composer’s timeless operas.
Caribbean Blueprint
Jeanine De Bique & Island Chamber Orchestra
17.4.2027 • 20:00 • Salle M (Bozar)
Jeanine De Bique grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, where Bach and Handel were ever-present in Anglican church services. At the same time, she learned at school about the beauty of folk music traditions: Caribbean songs that capture everyday life and serve as a history in their own right. In an age of increasing individualization, the mezzo-soprano wishes to use her voice to preserve these ancestral stories, with a selection of some fifteen Caribbean folk songs paired with Baroque arias.
Górecki: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs
Belgian National Orchestra & Jeanine De Bique
23.4.2027 • 20:00 • Salle Henry Le Bœuf (Bozar)
Henryk Górecki’s Third Symphony is one of those rare works that seem to slow time almost to a standstill. Long, sustained lines unfold gradually, like breathing. Simplicity becomes strength. In this “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,” Górecki does not seek drama, but truth, expressed through spare orchestration, gentle textures and a voice that rises above everything while remaining profoundly inward.
