A young ensemble with an ambitious mission
Since its founding in 2020 by artistic director Tore Tom Denys (tenor), Dionysos Now! has established itself as an innovative vocal ensemble. With a mix of youthful energy and international experience – the singers are active with top ensembles such as Collegium Vocale Gent, Huelgas Ensemble and The Tallis Scholars – the group brings 16th-century polyphony to life. The focus? The rediscovery of Adriaen Willaert (ca. 1490–1562), a Flemish composer who made a splash in Italy, but is often overlooked today."Polyphony is not a relic," emphasizes Denys. "It is a living art form that raises questions about dialogue, harmony and diversity – themes that are just as relevant now as they were 500 years ago." With projects ranging from AI experiments to prison concerts, Dionysos Now! aims to build a bridge between historical music and contemporary social challenges.
2025 promises to be an exciting year for Dionysos Now!, the ensemble that connects Renaissance music with contemporary experiments. The program includes:
Valentine's Nocturne: romance by candlelight
On Friday, February 14, the Jerusalemkapel in Bruges transforms into a romantic oasis during the Valentine's Nocturne. By flickering candlelight, the ensemble performs works by Willaert, a contemporary of Anselm Adornes. The concert ties in with the exhibition "Anselm Adornes: Glory and Setback of a 15th-century Traveler". More info: Adornes.org.
AI and polyphony: a sensory revolution
On February 20 and 21, Dionysos Now! brings pure polyphony in combination with AI. Experience a unique fusion of tradition and technology in the Zebrastraat at the New Technology Art Award (NTAA) and at the Wintercircus Gent at the Full Circle Festival. The voices of four singers from Dionysos Now!, led by tenor Tore Tom Denys, bring the heavenly harmony of Adriaen Willaert's Renaissance masterpieces to life again in a 30-minute concert. This is more than just music—it is a sensory journey. As the singers weave their complex chants, AI joins the dialogue and generates visuals inspired by glass. These AI-created images reinterpret the essence of the music and are projected in dialogue with REÏ, the light and stained glass installation by Atelier Mestdagh and Jana Roos. Together they create a captivating narrative that connects the beauty of Renaissance polyphony with the groundbreaking creativity of AI. Since 2005, Stichting Liedts-Meesen has organized the New Technological Art Award (NTAA) in the Zebrastraat in Gent every two years. This year the biennial celebrates its tenth edition with a special exhibition "Intelligence Is Automatic", curated by art historian and professor Thierry Dufrêne. The opening will be enhanced by Dionysos Now!
More info: Zebrastraat.be | Full-Circle.be.
St. John Passion: rediscovered and socially driven
After 400 years, the ensemble retrieves Willaert's St. John Passion from oblivion. On April 2 in De Pinte, April 3 in Gent and April 16 in Rome, this emotional composition, once wrongly attributed to Cypriano de Rore, will be heard. Notably: the dress rehearsal in De Pinte is free admission for children, refugees and the underprivileged. Get a taste of it in advance
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2fgPP1pvNI&t=14s[/embed]
New CD/LP: street art and Renaissance in symbiosis
On April 3, Dionysos Now! launches the CD/LP A. Willaert, Missa Laudate Deum with cover art by the mysterious Ghent street artist ROA. "Just like Willaert, ROA breaks conventions while honoring tradition," Denys explains. The release can be ordered via EPR Classic.
Sängerknaben: boy choir restores historical sound
How did polyphony originally sound, with boys' voices? On May 17 and 18, Dionysos Now! and the Kinderkoor Opera Ballet Vlaanderen reconstruct this practice in Gent and Antwerp. A project that restores the missing link to the Renaissance.
Prison concert: music as medicine
On May 16, the ensemble brings polyphony to inmates in the Oudenaarde prison. With photographer Stephan Vanfleteren and chef Willem Hiele, this becomes a total experience, aimed at reflection and connection.
Flow Festival: midsummer celebration of polyphony
Dionysos Now! is developing its own midsummer festival centered on polyphony in Oostende, from June 20 to 22. The flow festival promises to be a unique and unforgettable celebration of polyphonic music. A meeting place for many, a connecting place between musicians, fans and partners, a showcase, but above all a feel-good moment with a unique experience. The Festival is an innovative and inspiring celebration of music, dedicated to exploring and appreciating polyphonic soundscapes. This festival promises to be a transformative and not-to-be-missed experience for music lovers, artists and curious souls.
Polyphony: polyphony as a metaphor for the 21st century WITH the bridge to 5 centuries ago, the renaissance, philosophy and humanism. How fantastic it can be to engage in polyphonic conversation with each other! More voices lead to more beauty: a remedy against monotony, against nationalism or woke, against pensée unique. In a special fringe program during the flow-festival we bring together top students (master after master) to converse with each other and with international guests around art, culture, philosophy, democracy, science and politics.
Expo Compassion: compassion in image and sound
Until 31 August the exhibition Compassion runs at the MAS Antwerpen, where Willaerts Flete oculi sounds alongside Vanfleterens photographs about universal compassion. More info: MAS Antwerpen.