At his stARTfestival debut in 2024, tubist Joshua Williams got the audience dancing. His extremely varied programme – from Slavic folk tunes to jazz, rock and techno – impressed the Leverkusener Anzeiger newspaper “with its versatility, powerful melodies and, above all, innovative use of the tuba”, as it wrote enthusiastically.

At the stARTfestival 2025, Joshua Williams reveals the multifaceted nature of his musical personality in an entirely different setting: in the Historische Stadthalle, he will be performing classical works as a soloist. One work that could not fail to be included is the 1954 Tuba Concerto by eccentric British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. This was the first work ever written for solo tuba and it shows what the frequently underrated instrument, described as the “orchestral subwoofer”, is capable of. The outstanding Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen is embarking on this unusual collaboration exclusively for the stARTfestival. The brilliant Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska will have everything under control with her much-vaunted sense for perfect orchestral equilibrium, delicate timbres and detailing.