Ictus is a Brussels-based contemporary music ensemble. The ensemble's home since 1994 has been the Rosas dance company's premises. Headed by Anne-Teresa De Keersmaeker the dance troupe has put on fourteen productions in collaboration with Ictus (from Amor Constante to Drumming, Rain and more recently Vortex Temporum). Ictus has also collaborated with other choreographers including Wim Vandekeybus, Maud Le Pladec, Eleanor Bauer and Fumiyo Ikeda.

Ictus is a permanent group of 20 or so co-opted musicians including the conductor Georges-Elie Octors. A sound engineer is a regular presence in their midst, a sign of the massive movement ensembles are seen to be making towards the status of a mixed "electric orchestra". Amongst the twenty or so CDs released by Ictus, the two albums devoted to Fausto Romitelli have been particularly influential due to the audacity of their mixes, which subvert the classic acoustic space. In the same spirit, Ictus is now launching a new collection under the label Sub Rosa, Contra Naturam.

Ictus joins forces with Bozar and the Kaaitheater every year to develop a season with which to regale audiences in Brussels, an opportunity to experiment with new programmes to be offered to a non-specialist audience with broad cultural interests, people with an enthusiasm for theatre dance and music. Since 2004, the ensemble is also resident at the Lille Opera. In addition to fundamental work with the Opera (themed concerts and educational activities), every year Ictus puts on a stage production. Fans will no doubt remember the 2004 production of Georges Aperghis’ Avis de Tempête, Michaël Levinas’ 2011 production of La Métamorphose and Wolfgang Mitterer’s 2016 production of Marta.

The issue of formats and listening systems has now been put in the mix: mini or maxi concerts, mystery programmes (the Blind Dates in Ghent), concerts with comments, concerts-cum-festivals where the audience is at liberty to roam around the stages (the landmark Liquid Room events showcased all over Europe). Finally, Ictus is running an Advanced Master dedicated to the interpretation of contemporary music in collaboration with the Ghent School of Arts. More information, a blog and lots of audio equipment are available on the ensemble’s website.