Lecture 8 december 2025 16:30 - 18:00
ONLINE
Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is a unique study of the great composer Dmitri Shostakovich, based on memories from his contemporaries: family members, friends, fellow musicians, and other prominent figures from that time. Elisabeth Wilson illuminates the life of the composer from his early successes, through his struggles under the Stalinist regime, to his international recognition as one of the key composers of the 20th century.
She paints a detailed picture of Shostakovich's creative processes, how he was perceived by his contemporaries, and of the increasing contrast between his private life and public image as his fame grew.
Concert 12 december 2025 20:15
Het Jagthuis
When one thinks of the piano quintet, one usually thinks of a string quartet and a piano. Schubert and Vaughan Williams had different thoughts: they replaced one of the two violins with a double bass. Expect extra power in the depths and more depth in this heavenly chamber music.
Schubert's Trout Quintet and Vaughan Williams' Piano Quintet
Contrary to what the added double bass to the piano quartet suggests (dark and gloomy sounds), in Schubert's famous Trout Quintet we hear sunshine, cheerfulness, and joy of life. Schubert was happy for a change when composing this quintet. A rare moment for Schubert, which he captures in this quintet, as if relentless time, that certain path towards death, momentarily stands still. Vaughan Williams' Piano Quintet is naturally based on the unique example of Schubert, but is mainly influenced by the lyricism of Johannes Brahms. The first movement sounds orchestral and full, in the second part we hear Vaughan Williams' familiar lyricism, the third part is an autumnal and solemn theme with variations.
Concert 14 december 2025 14:00 - 1 december -1
Kasteel Keukenhof
The Fontana String Quartet is an energetic and passionate ensemble that has been collaborating since September 2021. It consists of violinists Mara Mostert and Caspar Bellamy, violist Elin Haver, and cellist Isaac Lottman. All four of them were students at the Sweelinck Academy. Currently, they are studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Since October 2024, the Fontana Quartet has been affiliated with the NSKA, an academy that assists young ensembles in their learning process and provides many opportunities.
They have already given several performances: on TV at Podium Klassiek, at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, and at renowned venues throughout the Netherlands. In March 2024, the ensemble entered into a collaboration with the Portuguese soprano Madalena Massano, with whom they toured in Portugal and gave five successful concerts.
Very recently, the Kersjes String Quartet Scholarship was awarded to the Fontana Quartet from the Kersjes Fund.
The program:
Schumann – String Quartet No. 3 in A major
Barber – Adagio for Strings
Britten – String Quartet No. 2 in C
Concert 20 december 2025 20:00 - 1 december -1
Posthoornker, Amsterdam
A winter journey through Schubert's most compelling song cycle, but done differently: not with piano, but in a passionate arrangement for string quartet and vocals by Wim ten Have (originally commissioned by the Dutch Ragazze Quartet). In Ten Have's adaptation, the piano part is not simply 'divided' among four voices; the string players create their own world. Dudok Quartet Amsterdam takes the audience into that world, where the wintry cold is palpable, with velvety pizzicati and special effects like sul ponticello.
The song cycle consists of 24 songs on poems by Wilhelm Müller. In two parts, the listener follows a silent 'wanderer' through a frozen landscape: the loss of love becomes a mirror for existential hunger, directionless longing, and ultimately silence.
Historically, Winterreise was conceived from a male protagonist perspective. Mezzo-soprano Karin Strobos brings warmth and light to this Winterreise. With her natural drama, she tells an old story as if it is happening now: each song is a scene, each motif an action. Her Winterreise with Dudok Quartet Amsterdam is intimate, direct, and close to the words.
Concert 21 december 2025 15:30 - 1 december -1
Het Jagthuis
Olivia Scheepers - violin
Fiona Robertson - violin
Henrietta Hill - viola
Pau Marquès i Oleo - cello
“La Serenissima” Mahler, Britten, Haydn, von Bingen, Randle
Concert 26 december 2025 16:00 - 1 december -1
In Paradiso - Grote Zaal
What would paradise look like if the birds of paradise were allowed to decorate it themselves? On Boxing Day, The Paradiso Orchestra will, together with everyone present, respond to this question through language and music. Apparently, Christmas stollen and mulled wine can at least be found...
This year, the program is curated by singer/songwriter and all-round artist Gerson Main and indie-pop duo Ciao Lucifer (Marnix Dorrestein & Willem Wits). Together with the fanfare St. Caecilia from Heemskerk, the ADAM Quartet, and singer Claron McFadden, they will present their paradise. So expect everything from Gabriel Fauré to a forgotten Christmas carol of yesteryear to brand-new pop songs from the curators. As always, The Paradiso Orchestra is once again a colorful collection of top musicians from all corners of the globe and music styles.
Concert 28 december 2025 11:00 - 1 december -1
Het Concertgebouw
Performers:
Dudok Quartet Amsterdam
Hannes Minnaar – piano
Program:
Schubert – String Quartet in E-flat major, D. 87
Holmès – Prelude ‘What was heard on Christmas Night’
Franck – Piano Quintet in f minor
The Sunday Morning Concert:
The Sunday Morning Concert presents beloved and impressive musical works, performed by top musicians from home and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music, simply on Sunday morning!
Concert 28 december 2025 15:15
De Waalse Kerk
Meet the string quartets of the future in the brand new String Quartet Series at the Waalse Kerk, in collaboration with the Dutch String Quartet Academy. Young ensembles full of energy breathe new life into the great classics and embark on adventures with surprising, contemporary works. Order a drink, sit back, and let yourself be carried away in our centuries-old church in the heart of Amsterdam.
About Fontana Quartet
The Fontana Quartet is an energetic and passionate string quartet that has been collaborating since September 2021. Their strength lies in the combination of a personal and musical connection, which enables them to fulfill their shared ambition to perform at a high level each time. The members met at the Sweelinck Academy and then moved on to the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Here, they come together during rehearsals and lessons with Dmitri Ferschtman, Judith van Driel, and Peter Brunt.
Since their formation, they have already delivered impressive performances: on television at Podium Klassiek, on the radio at Concertzender, and on various beautiful stages throughout the Netherlands. In March 2024, the ensemble entered into a collaboration with the Portuguese soprano Madalena Massano, with whom they went on tour to Portugal and gave five successful concerts. The repertoire of the Fontana Quartet includes quartets by Smetana, Mendelssohn, Britten, Schumann, and Shostakovich, showcasing a wide musical spectrum.
Since October 2024, the Fontana Quartet has been associated with the DSQA, an academy that guides young ensembles in their learning process and offers many opportunities.
Program:
Britten: String Quartet no. 2 in C, op.36
intermission
Barber: Molto Adagio, op.11
Berg & Schubert: 3 German Night Songs (no.1&3 of 7 Frühe Lieder and Nacht und Träume, D. 827)
Shepherd: Triptych
Concert 29 december 2026 13:00
Het Maltezerhuis, Utrecht
The young Otilka Quartet offers a double hidden gem. The quartet itself consists of musicians who we will hear a lot from in the future. Furthermore, the Otilka Quartet plays repertoire that is not on the music stand every day. The young ambitious string players met each other in 2020 at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. They can now also be heard on international stages and the quartet is one of the flagship ensembles of the renowned Dutch String Quartet Academy. The quartet distinguishes itself not only with exceptional performances of well-known string quartet repertoire like Beethoven's String Quartet op. 18 no. 1 but also with unknown repertoire, especially from Dutch origin.
For example, the Otilka Quartet performs the First String Quartet by Hans Henkemans. A forgotten Dutch composer who made a name for himself before the Second World War. His equally stirring and serene string quartets only resurfaced in 2023, ninety years later. The Otilka Quartet is currently the only string quartet performing these works. A surprising piece from a forgotten period of Dutch music history that is just as impressive as the more famous works of Beethoven and Webern.
About the series Hidden Gems:
The Hidden Gems series focuses on undiscovered young talent who are given the opportunity to present a self-curated program at unexpected and special locations in the city center of Utrecht. These top musicians of the near future come from postgraduate music programs and are often prize winners of competitions.
Another time: 15.00
Concert 30 december 2026 11:00
TivoliVredenburg
The Walking Concerts are a beloved part of the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht. This time, the various walking groups are in for three exhilarating out of the box concerts featuring a percussion trio, a jazz string quartet, and a brilliant vocal duo. Soprano Ana-Carmen Balestra and mezzo-soprano Roza Herwig, under the name Opera Rebels, turn everything related to opera and classical vocal recitals upside down. The singers combine well-known opera arias with jazz, pop, folk music, and more, and also act to create a new captivating story.
The North Sea String Quartet is the Dutch jazz quartet of the moment. The quartet defies the laws of the traditional string quartet, mixes genres, and improvises on their own and well-known themes to explore uncharted territories. The Volkskrant already praised 'the sense of rhythm and timing' on the quartet's CD "Splunge", and Luister gave the album a very high rating, calling it 'a stunning kaleidoscope of sounds and movements' and 'movie scenes in sound'. During this walking concert, the exciting repertoire of "Splunge" will undoubtedly be heard in versions never heard before.
With 'bewitching interplay', the young Kāna Trio already won the Grachtenfestival Conservatory Competition in 2022. And this year, the Dutch-Portuguese percussion trio toured the country as part of the Dutch Classical Talent development trajectory. During the final closing, the trio won the coveted Dutch Classical Talent Award. 'Pure spectacle', was the clear jury comment here. Their infectious program also includes various remarkable works today, such as the playfully fascinating "Clacky Thocky Poppy" for three computer keyboards by Nuno Lobo.
Concert 30 december 2026 11:00 - 1 december -1
Centraal Museum, Utrecht
The Walk Concerts are a beloved part of the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht. This time, the different walking groups are in for three exhilarating out-of-the-box concerts featuring a percussion trio, a jazz string quartet, and a brilliant vocal duo. Soprano Ana-Carmen Balestra and mezzo-soprano Roza Herwig, under the name Opera Rebels, turn everything related to opera and classical song recitals upside down. The singers combine well-known opera arias with jazz, pop, folk music, and more, and even act alongside to create a new captivating story.
The North Sea String Quartet is the Dutch jazz quartet of the moment. The quartet defies the laws of the traditional string quartet, mixes genres, and improvises on their own and familiar themes to explore uncharted territory. De Volkskrant praised 'the sense of rhythm and timing' on the quartet's CD "Splunge" and Luister gave the album a very high rating, describing it as 'an astonishing kaleidoscope of sounds and movements' and 'movie scenes in sound'. During this walking concert, the exciting repertoire of "Splunge" will undoubtedly be heard in versions never before experienced.
Keizersgracht 241
1016 EA Amsterdam
info@nska.nl
