The world premiere of Dies Illa—a 2014 Krzysztof Penderecki composition for three soloists, three mixed choirs and orchestra—was given on November 9 at Koekelberg Basilica in Brussels. The performance was conducted by the Estonian conductor Andres Mustonen during the Flanders Festival, where Nikolay Didenko, Johanna Rusanen and Poland’s Angieszka Rehlis appeared as the soloists. Themed “1000 Voices for Peace” to commemorate victims of the First World War, the festival brought together an astonishing 39 choirs—22 from Belgium and 17 from foreign countries that were involved in the war.
[Source: thenews.pl, efa-aef.eu]