B-Classic - 05.12.2025 The Cabinet Sessions #4

Looking forward to a winter evening full of warm sounds and cozy atmosphere?Welcome to the fourth edition of The Cabinet Sessions, taking place on 5 December at the Rubens House!

Genre-bending accordion with Philippe Thuriot and Gwen Cresens

The accordion is an instrument with a thousand faces. It speaks French in the musette, dreams in the tango of Buenos Aires, pulses in Balkan music, and whispers Bach in a Flemish chapel. In America, they lovingly call it The Box.

Philippe Thuriot and Gwen Cresens are two masters of this versatile instrument. They grew up with café sounds and classical repertoire, performed across jazz stages and concert halls around the world, and found each other in the art of listening and letting go.

Their playing is intuitive, intense and free. The score is just a starting point, imagination the destination. From Bach to the Beatles, from Scarlatti to Piazzolla — anything is welcome.

Two friends. Two musical adventurers. One evening where the accordion shows its full glow: playful, melancholic, elusive and deeply moving.

Animated film meets musical poetry by Elis Floreen

Starts at 19:30

What makes Elis Floreen’s (aka Marijke Maes) soft, etherial voice even more magical? When it merges with dreamlike visuals, of course. During The Cabinet Sessions, you’ll experience Ice Merchants, the award-winning animated short by Portuguese director João Gonzalez. An intimate and poetic tale about the bond between father and son.
Singer-songwriter and producer Elis Floreen performs a live soundtrack to the film. Think cinematic textures, sensory scoring, and a poetic dialogue between sound and image.

Magical garden walk with Nel Maertens

Ongoing from 20:00 to 23:00, performance until 21:00

Have you already discovered Zaaien en Oogsten, the multidisciplinary artwork by Nel Maertens? The Antwerp-based visual artist invites you to walk through her installation, a path of pigment and wheat flour, filled with recreated flowers and plants.
Especially for the Rubens House, and after a deep dive into our garden and library, Maertens created a new and enchanting version of her performance. Stroll through her poetic world, accompanied by live music from Aya Suzuki.

Drawing workshop with Willo Gonnissen

Ongoing from 19:00 to 22:00

Ever wanted to create a drawing inspired by Rubens? During The Cabinet Sessions, artist Willo Gonnissen, known for his refined paintings and assemblages, will guide you in making your own work. Be inspired by books from our library, carefully selected by Willo, and join in for a relaxed creative session.

In the footsteps of Rubens’ mother: book performance Topmadammen by Carolien Krijnen

Starts at 19:00, 19:45, 20:30, 21:15 and 22:00

Author Carolien Krijnen dove into the stories of ten women who helped shape the city of Antwerp. In her new book Topmadammen, she pays tribute to figures like Regine Beer, Nicole van Goethem and Ann Christy — women ahead of their time with fascinating life stories.
One of them is Maria Pijpelinckx, mother of Rubens. Curious who she was, and what influence she had on her famous son? Carolien brings her story to life in vivid detail during a live reading in the Maria Pijpelinckxstraat, just around the corner from the Rubens House.

Drinks and DJ set

Ongoing from 19:00

Wander through the rooms of the Rubens Experience, discover hidden treasures in the library, explore the garden, or enjoy a drink at the bar. A vibrant DJ set provides the perfect soundtrack for your evening.

Ask Rubens!

Ongoing from 19:00

Do you have a question or would you like to learn more about the garden, library or Rubens Experience? Our Rubens guides are available throughout the evening. Spot them by their green badges and ask away!

About curator B-Classic

Each year, the Rubens House hands over the key to its cabinet to an inspiring curator. In 2025, B-Classic invites audiences into its artistic world. B-Classic fosters encounters between artists, genres and audiences. It opens up classical music and explores how music — both past and present, is created and experienced. B-Classic supports artists and creators with an open mind, giving them space to create, experiment and present.