Archive 1997 

This edition was composer Jan van Vlijmen’s last year as festival director and was full of music. The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary with performances of nearly all the work of composer Matthijs Vermeuelen and other unconventional figures like Alexander Skrjabin and Charles Ives. Choreographer Mats Ek presented theatre work for the first time with his adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta. The theatre programme was more extensive than it had been in years, anticipating the festival’s future in which theatre would feature more prominently on the programme. As such, there were pieces by Robert Wilson and Ivo van Hove, but also Noh and tango performances.