The Sturm und Klang Ensemble, founded in 2000 by Thomas Van Haeperen, has retained over the years its allusion to the pre-romantic Sturm und Drang movement, the ideals of freedom, passion and individual emancipation. On the ‘Sturm’ (storm) side, the ensemble and its conductor claim energy, ardour and enthusiasm as their major assets, and on the ‘Klang’ (sound) side, vitality, precision and refinement of sound. It is in this spirit that the ensemble’s performers share a strong impetus and artistic commitment to projects that call for their dynamism, sensitivity and creativity, dedicated to seeking out the specific forces contained in each work they undertake to perform, the poetry that emerges from it and the sonic metamorphoses that it unfolds.

Sturm und Klang’s programming focuses mainly on the repertoires of the 20th and 21st centuries, with original and demanding projects, in a spirit of discovery, of conquering new ways of listening, of dialogue with the present time and the questions that run through it. It also actively supports Belgian musical creation, particularly of the younger generation, by organising workshops for composers, by regularly commissioning works, and by rediscovering forgotten personalities of the 20th century.