GUSO

In 2006, GUSO grew out of the orchestra Tempi Misti as the new student orchestra of Ghent University. Since then, GUSO passionately performs great classics from the symphonic repertoire, whilst discovering composers and music from a less distant past. They do this with a lot of devotion and passion under the musical guidance of their conductor Steven Decraene.

GUSO explicitly presents itself as an open and social orchestra, having simultaneously the ambition to realize qualitative and musically ambitious projects. By looking across the borders and by giving students in Ghent the opportunity to extend their musical interests, GUSO follows the Ghent University slogan: “Dare to think” turns into “dare to play”, which reflects our youthful and musical enthusiasm quite effectively. Conductor Steven Decraene fully supports this vision by continuously looking for new enrichments. In this way, the young musicians are being challenged to develop socially and artistically.

Over the years, GUSO worked alongside incredible musicians like Michail Bezverkhny, Lorenzo Gatto, Jolente De Maeyer, Jef Neve, Marc Bouchkov and Eliane Rodrigues, realising pieces from Belgian and foreign composers. GUSO also dares to take on innovative projects. They premiered the Concerto Grosso for turntable, cello and orchestra by Fabrizio Cassol and they colored far outside of the lines of the symphonic repertoire with two creations by Michiel De Malsche.

In the spring of 2012, GUSO went on a tour in Flanders with Hommage à Brel Symphonique, in spring 2015, a Eastern-European wind blew through the orchestra thanks to the cooperation with the Tcha Limberger Trio. For the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the University of Ghent, GUSO cooperated with other ensembles of their Alma Mater and the University of Liège. Highlight of the festivities was a concert in the BOZAR for the Royal Family.