Whether Tess Merlot performs in a small lineup, her full band or an entire orchestra, she does so with an irresistible joie de vivre and boundless energy. It may be subdued and beautiful, but it may also be robust, grotesque. And time after time, the primal forces of the chanson prove to possess a magnetism of have you there: sing along, tears in the eyes and blissful heads all over. On November 25 she and the Residentie Orkest Den Haag will give it their all to put on a romantic and grotesque show. At this Symphonic Junction, expect a wonderfully blissful evening where it's not a disaster if wine is spilled.

The first time Tess Merlot heard Jacques Brel, lightning struck. Since then, the music hasn't stopped. She formed the band Tess et les Moutons and hundreds of shows later, every performance still revolves around the essence: drawing the human soul to the surface as only French life song can. With her own work and chanson classics by Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, among others, she will blow your socks off.

Symphonic Junction: the frontier of classical
The Residentie Orkest and Paard have been successfully conducting an adventurous series of concerts under the title "Symphonic Junction" for the past ten years.