Frankrijklei 3 - 2000 Antwerpen BelgiqueFlanders Opera is not only Flanders' single opera house, with two magnificent buildings in Antwerp and Ghent, but also a main player in the international field. The Antwerp opera house has reopened in November 2007, after a huge renovation of the backstage areas, to celebrate the Vlaamse Opera’s 100th Anniversary.
At the request of composer Peter Benoit and a group of Flemish nationalists, the Mayor of Antwerp, Jan Van Riswijck commissioned an opera house to be built in 1899. It was built between 1904 and 1907 under the direction of architects Alexis Van Mechelen and E. van Averbeke. It was designated a “Royal Opera House” in 1920. The Neo-baroque building with its sumptuous Louis XVI style met with immediate success. The oval foyer is lined in pink marble and the paintings are by Emile Vloors. The foyer is the only room in the opera house to have been completely renovated to improve its acoustics. The main auditorium, in the shape of an amphitheatre, seats 1006 people. The ceiling, by Karel Mertens, depicts an allegory of rhythm embodied by a man surrounded by muses. Originally operas were performed in Flemish. In 1960, at the instigation of the new director many works were given their Belgian premiere at Antwerp.
Since 1989, a new organisation “De Vlaamse Opera” brought the stages of Ghent and Antwerp together. Since then it has played a significant role in music at international level, alternating contemporary, baroque and classical seasons. The programme of the Vlaamse Opera promotes young performers at the same time as regularly inviting international musicians.
