For Belgian National Orchestra director Bob Permitier, the intensity of "Ludus" from Pärt's album "Tabula Rasa," with its two violins, is always spiritual.

"There's such power; it's so intense — that, for me, is a very important one," he said.

For Permitier, Pärt's 90th birthday year has proven an opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream.

It's the first time we are playing it," he acknowledged. "And I was one of the bassoon players for the orchestra for 30 years. I became the director now, a few months ago, and it was always one of my own dreams to play this music."

He isn't the only one who holds the Estonian composer in high regard either — Pärt is very well loved in Belgium.

"'Spiegel im Spiegel' and all these famous [pieces] — like 'Fratres,' et cetera — are reaching the highest scores in the charts here," highlighted Klarafestival director Joost Fonteyne. "And he's always in the top five, if he's not number one."

"'Spiegel im Spiegel' — that's what people here use for funerals," noted Jan, one of the audience members at Saturday's concert at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts. "And also for weddings sometimes."

That night, Jan heard some of his favorite pieces performed live for the first time.

Another audience member, a young man named Grimm, attended Saturday's concert to discover the works of a new composer.

"I feel that youngsters are interested in classical music more than, like, five years ago," Grimm said.

In such a vibrant and extroverted city as Brussels, the popularity of Pärt's soul-searching music may be somewhat surprising. People find something in his work that is otherwise missing from their day-to-day lives.

"In the very fast world that we are living in today, people are also looking for some introspection," Fonteyne said. "And I think it connects very much to a lot of people who are in a rat race, and who can finally breathe with his music."

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