SoundLab

On September 19, 2025, the MCICM introduced a new form of interactive audience participation, the Sound Lab. During the annual Music Sacra festival, which also marked the opening of the Philzuid concert season opening, festival visitors were given the opportunity to explore the festival theme of ‘Sacred Houses’ within music—and by extension, within art and culture. An experimental, interactive lab was created in the foyer of the Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, where visitors (young and old) could work independently or in small groups on three short assignments. The Harvest Tree offered the opportunity to hang a card with a wish, a question, a hidden desire, or an observation. The tree of cards formed a growing installation throughout the festival. In the Confessional, visitors could discuss questions regarding exclusion, tradition, or innovation in music and art. The assignment Listen Differently offered concertgoers the opportunity to question their own listening based on themes such as personal listening experiences, judgments, attention, expectations, and context. The Sound Lab is designed to be used at various concerts throughout the season. It not only offers concertgoers the opportunity to engage with the music, their own listening, and that of others, in a different way. Through their contributions, it also yields insights into audience experiences that can be valuable for the festival organizers and the orchestra.