Belgian National Orchestra

Chinese-New Zealand conductor Tianyi Lu opens 2026 in style: she leads the Belgian National Orchestra in a festive and surprising New Year's concert. Celebrate the new year with an inspiring selection of the most beautiful musical works inspired by dance, crossing continents with the greatest composers, including Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Piazzolla and Price. The virtuosity of Belgian accordionist Philippe Thuriot gives the traditional Viennese waltzes an unexpected twist and elevates this musical moment to its highest level. A sparkling evening to start the new year! Tianyi Lu Tianyi Lu is internationally acclaimed for her exciting energy on stage, her deeply creative approach to the repertoire, and her open and inspiring conducting style. She works with major orchestras and opera houses around the world. In the 2024/25 season, Tianyi Lu made her debut at the BBC Proms in London with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and cellist Sol Gabetta. She has also conducted the New York Philharmonic, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Staatsorchester Stuttgart. Philippe Thuriot Philippe Thuriot is a Belgian accordionist with an international career spanning more than 30 years. He studied in Copenhagen and won prestigious prizes, such as Tenuto and Hugo Herrmann-Wettbewerb. Thuriot has worked with ensembles like Prometheus and Ictus and performed with Uri Caine and Maria Schneider. In 2015, his CD Bach's Goldberg Variations on accordion was released. He currently teaches accordion at the School of Arts in Ghent.