Philharmonie Bocholtz en Opera Compact

Get carried away on the wings of this musical narrative of our history with the finest classical harmony music and opera arias.

Opera Compact and the Koninklijke Philharmonie Bocholtz find each other in a musical narrative with a compelling thread. Master storyteller Sybrand van der Werf, soprano Fenna Ograjensek, bass-baritone Vincent Kusters and clarinettist Roger Debougnoux visually tell, sing and play music to tell the story of Reinoud (the Bold) of Gelre. In 2026, it will be exactly 700 years since the death of this remarkable nobleman, who played a prominent role in the Limburg wars of succession.

The Mad Count of Gelre

Theatrically, this concert, conducted by Frenk Rouschop and featuring Philip Seerden on piano, highlights important turning points in Reinoud's life and Limburg history: his madness, as Reinoud was also known as the Mad Count of Gelre. But also his progressive ideas about what could have become a medieval precursor to the European Union and his dramatic death; locked alone by his own son in a draughty Limburg tower.

Our history comes alive with spectacular harmony music and the finest opera arias by (among others) Mozart, Verdi and Wagner.