Klara

Belgium was one of the first countries in the world to experiment with radio. In the 1930’s an exceptional modern broadcasting house was built in Brussels. The design combined architectural innovation with the strictest acoustic and technical requirements. The intrinsic qualities of the studios were recognized by all and attracted the most prestigious musicians of the century. Today the building has acquired a new role as an art centre (see Flagey). Thanks to numerous distinguished radio producers (a lot of them were composers like Karel Goeyvaerts, André Laporte, Wilfried Westerlinck, Boudewijn Buckinx, Elias Gystelinck, Raymond Schroyens…) the VRT has a marvellous archive of music recordings that is still growing through recordings of concerts and festivals.

Today VRT is still the public broadcasting company for the Flemish Community and member of the European Broadcasting Union. In its cross-medial structure there is one cultural production team for radio (primarily Klara), television (primarily Canvas and the digital channel) and internet.

KLARA – KLassieke RAdio – is the cultural channel of VRT. It offers classical, jazz, world music as well as cultural information. The programmes include live regional concerts and concerts originating from the EBU. Klara has its own CD label, organises concerts and awards for the best recordings of the year. Klara Continuo is a digital non-stop classical music channel. Another digital channel brings only jazz.
The Klara website is the general cultural platform for all brands of the VRT.