Casco Phil

Casco Phil’s ambition is to devise an orchestra model able to respond to the challenges of the future, both in artistic and in organizational terms. The orchestra was initially conceived as an antidote to what the founders considered an overly homogeneous orchestral landscape. Orchestra representatives remark that there is a wide gap between large traditional orchestras and small ensembles, who each have their own repertoire, audience, concert environment, social habits and market. It would be better for the field as a whole if every orchestra would have an artistic profile, supported by artistic principles. One of the main motivations to found Casco Phil was to create a modular orchestral entity to re-unite these diverging fields. Casco Phil’s aim is to reconcile artistic experiment and accessibility. As the profile of Casco Phil is based on artistic experimentation, the emphasis lies on production rather than reproduction. The orchestra wants to try out new concert formats, push artistic boundaries, and give opportunities to composers and young musicians. The organization puts strong emphasis on its modular and flexible form. Analogous to their aversion for predefined structures, the organization (which will be referred to as an orchestra for the remainder of this report) takes on various forms, from fully equipped symphony orchestra, over modern chamber ensemble to impromptu accompaniment for jazz or pop musicians. In the Belgian music scene, Casco Phil is the only professional ensemble or orchestra that does not receive a fixed amount of subsidies. For over ten years, the orchestra has succeeded to survive on its own terms and in developing an organizational model to do so. However, the orchestra’s profile as a whole reveals the difficulty of striking the right balance between artistic conception and pragmatic feasibility.