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“When you visit a new country for the first time, it’s like a first date with a beautiful woman,” said Alex Callier, founder of the iconic Belgian band Hooverphonic. The press conference in Yerevan set the stage for a major event. On Thursday, the band will take the stage of the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall alongside the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.

The concert is dedicated to the orchestra’s 100th anniversary—a milestone that itself sounds like an overture to eternity. The musicians describe this concert as a chance to pour their hearts into the music. “And then—we’ll see what comes back in return,” they add.

In the room with the reporters are four members of the aforesaid band and the ambassador of Belgium to Armenia, Eric De Muynck. He openly admits to being a huge Hooverphonic fan. “The song ‘Eden’ has been playing in my head for years,” says the ambassador, revealing that upon learning of the band’s upcoming visit to Yerevan, he immediately contacted Norayr Nazaryan, director of the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall and the Philharmonic Orchestra.

 “The mission of the embassy is to build bridges. And here, we have a wonderful opportunity to build a musical bridge between Belgium and Armenia,” he adds. In addition to the concert, the band plans to visit TUMO to meet with Armenia’s creative youth—“and for them, Hooverphonic are undoubtedly icons.”

They’ve played with symphony orchestras. They’ve performed at jazz festivals. They’ve explored the psychedelia of the '60s and written music in the spirit of James Bond. They defy genre boundaries—and they prefer it that way. “If you ask me what kind of music we play, I don’t know what to say. It’s not rock. Not jazz. It’s just music. We don’t believe in labels,” says Alex Callier.

Over the course of their 30-year history, Hooverphonic have become true musical alchemists: blending the unblendable, ignoring genre constraints, and playing what they feel. That’s why you might hear them at electronic music festivals, or in grand concert halls where classical music reigns supreme.

Among Armenian artists, the band mentions is Charles Aznavour. “Even when he sang in French, you could feel the Armenian spirit in his voice,” says Alex. He adds that he still remembers the words of a Sony America executive: “Never underestimate the power of your roots.” Hooverphonic remain true to themselves.

And perhaps that’s exactly why their music resonates so deeply. And on Thursday, their sound will echo through Yerevan, accompanied by a symphonic orchestra, and beneath the vaulted ceiling of the most iconic concert hall of the Armenian capital.

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