In honour of the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste is coming to Brussels for a unique and one-off concert with Brussels Philharmonic.

On the 30^th of June - exactly the day of Congo's independence - the two orchestras will share the stage together. They will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and a work by Héritier Mayimbi Mbuangi, inspired by the music of the Luba: "I try to express the individuality of our cultures in my compositions. Western classical composers also incorporated influences from their surroundings into their music, and I am looking for a way to do the same".

The Symphonique Kimbanguiste was founded in 1994 by Armand Diangienda, grandson of Simon Kimbangu: a Congolese clergyman and founder of the Kimbangu Church. At start, the orchestra consisted of twelve amateur musicians who shared their instruments - in the meantime, the project grew into an organisation with more than 200 musicians including a choir. In 2013, Diangienda was rewarded: he became an honorary member of the Royal Philharmonic Society, a title previously reserved for classical masters such as Brahms and Stravinsky.

Flagey, Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, Brussels Philharmonic