A long-overdue female musical perspective on the most hated woman in Biblical narrative. On June 21th 7 p.m., Fran Van Lysebettens will perform her Master recital Delilah: a conversation between love and hate at Theater De Nieuwe Vorst. Accompanied by string quintet and clarinet as the distanced voice of Samson, Delilah doubts between love, hate and the question of betrayal.

Fran Van Lysebettens takes you on a musical journey to discover the other side of Delilah. Based on the classical French libretto from Ferdinand Lemaire and reimagined in a contemporary chamber opera. Rooted in an almost Händel-like opera tradition with a modern signature this one-woman opera tells the story of a woman in doubt. Tonal music yet always slightly unsettling drenched in musical irony. As opposed to other versions of the story, Samson is only vaguely present in the sound of the clarinet. This time the spotlight is fully on Delilah. She is finally free to speak what’s on her mind.

The Belgian alto/mezzo-soprano and composer Fran Van Lysebettens is not your typical classical performer. She is always seeking to match her eclectic personality with the classical music she performs. She has an interest in music that is outside the ordinary and the more complex, serious, darker subjects.

Composer and singer Fran Van Lysebettens

Conductor Katerina Sampakou

Director Rebecca Schoolmeesters

Clarinet Danielle Rossouw

Violin Denis Dias

Violin Cláudia Carvalho

Viola An’an Liu

Violoncello Floor Bakker