Wim Henderickx was commissioned to compose Symphony N°2 (Aquarius' Dream) by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (deFilharmonie) in 2016, where he is Artist in Residence since 2013. This second symphony was the first world premiere for this orchestra at the new Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp.

This work is about the elusive and the supernatural. Aquarius' Dream alludes to hope and to man’s focus on the future. This sweeping symphony is inspired by the celestial bodies and also alludes to the human relationship with the divine, the cosmos and beyond. it consists of three large sections, in between each of which is an interlude inspired by a dream.
The title of this work is also the title of the third and final part, Aquarius' Dream.
The soprano Claron McFadden will be giving a solo performance alongside the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.
Jorrit Tamminga’s electronics act as both a complement and a counterpart to the orchestra.

World premiere at the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp	Soprano Claron McFadden

 

Symphony No. 2 contains a prologue, an epilogue, 2 Dreams and 3 main parts:
    Prologue (electronics)
        I: O Magnum Mysterium
    Dream 1 (electronics + orchestra + voice)
        II: Pulses of the Earth
    Dream 2 (electronics + orchestra + voice)
        III: Aquarius’ Dream
    Epilogue (electronics)

With this symphony, just as in his first one, Wim Henderickx tries to reconcile the vast symphonic form of the past with a contemporary interpretation of it. Thanks to the staging, the spatial arrangement of the orchestra and the electronics, the audience will be immersed in a broad-based sensory experience of sound, time and space.

    ' SYMPHONY OF SOUND, SPACE & LIGHT'

Co-producer Muziektheater Transparant engaged Luigi De Angelis and Sergio Policicchio for the visual concept and the lighting design.