Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (ASO) can be seen as an emblematic orchestra in Belgium. As one of the official Art Institutes of the Flemish Community, the ASO profiles itself as a regional orchestra with international ambitions. With a staff of 20 people and 77 musicians on the payroll, the orchestra finds its way to most Belgian stages as well as prestigious venues abroad. After nearly 60 years of nomadic existence, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra recently found a new home in the brand-new and acoustically state-of-the-art Queen Elisabeth Hall in the heart of Antwerp. With its 1800 seats, a large number for a city with approximately 500.000 inhabitants, the ASO is able to attract the largest amount of audiences of all Flemish orchestras. In 2018, the ASO reached a total of 130.083 people, divided over its 498 concerts and other activities. In that year, 94 concerts were performed in Belgium, 46 of which in the orchestra’s own Queen Elisabeth Hall. An additional 14 concerts were performed abroad. At the time of research, the ASO was in search of a new chief conductor to complement the roles of primary guest conductor Philippe Herreweghe and honorary conductor Edo de Waart. Since the 2019-2020 season, Elim Chan is the first female chief conductor in Belgium and the youngest ever chief conductor of the ASO.