Flanders Symphony Orchestra
For more than 65 years, Flanders Symphony Orchestra has been a fixed value in the Flemish cultural landscape. The 60 talented musicians strive to amaze inside and outside the concert hall with their distinctive transparent sound and versatile repertoire. As a pioneer in talent development and artistic innovation, talent is given plenty of opportunities to explore new musical paths together.

Flanders Symphony Orchestra has grown into a flexible and enterprising ensemble that places symphonic music at the heart of society. The orchestra was founded in 1960 by Dirk Varendonck, who was also its first conductor. A thorough reform followed in 1995 and the orchestra was given its current name. After that, David Angus, Etienne Siebens, Seikyo Kim and Kristiina Poska, among others, were at the helm. As of January 2026 Martijn Dendievel is leading the orchestra as chief-conductor.

Anchored in Flanders but with an open view on the world, the orchestra combines local commitment with international ambitions. From small-scale educational concerts in the neighbourhoods of Ghent, its own concert series in Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges to prestigious concerts and artistically innovative projects on renowned concert stages at home and abroad.

Kristiina Poska
The award-winning conductor Kristiina Poska is in high demand on the international music scene. She has held the post of Chief Conductor of Flanders Symphony Orchestra since 2019/20 season, Principal Guest Conductor of Latvian National Symphony Orchestra since 2021/22 and will start her tenure as Music Director of Orchestre Français des Jeunes in Summer 2025. She studied choral conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater in Tallinn and orchestral conducting at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin. Poska was a finalist at the renowned Donatella Flick LSO Competition in 2010 and at the Malko Competition in May 2012, where she also won the audience prize. She then went on to win the prestigious German Conductors’ Prize in April 2013.

This season’s highlights include several debuts – with Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Colorado Symphony in North America, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi and Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao in Spain, Swedish Radio and Norwegian Radio Symphony orchestras in Scandinavia as well as Orchestre National de Montpellier, Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Grazer Philharmoniker. During the concert season, she returns to Orchestre National de France, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and tours with Flanders Symphony Orchestra several times performing in Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany and Estonia. As the new Music Director of the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, she embarks on two European tours at the end of the summer.