Concert 2 februari 2026 10:00
Museum Voorlinden
Young talent pays tribute to classical masters every first Monday morning of the month; that is the concept of Voorlinden Klassiek. Every month, young musical talents perform a special classical composition in the museum's auditorium.
Concert 4 februari 2026 12:30 - 22 februari 2026
De Vereeniging Kleine Zaal
In the whirlwind of modern life, the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet looks for silence. Their latest programme explores the tension between isolation and connectedness, between inner peace and the starkness of emptiness. The Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet is a young and energetic chamber music ensemble that was founded in 2019. Hailing from four different parts of the world, they found each other in the culturally vibrant city of Amsterdam.
Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Adagio en Fuga in c, K. 546 (arr. Remco Jak)
John Cage Story from 'Living Room Music'
Jörg Widmann 7 Capricci
Felix Mendelssohn Die Hebriden (arr. Ebonit SQ)
Ramin Amin Tafreshi A Shimmering Light
John Cage Melody from 'Living Room Music'
David Dramm HeadLand
Philip Glass Mishima V Closing (arr. Dokwerk SQ)
OTHER DATES:
5 FEB, Utrecht
8 FEB, Maastricht
11 FEB, Arnhem
12 FEB, Eindhoven
15 FEB, Rotterdam
18 FEB, Haarlem
22 FEB, Leeuwarden
Concert 5 februari 2026 20:15 - 6 februari 2026
Muziekgebouw
The Animato Quartet plays with flair, courage, and an infectious drive for innovation. In this special collaboration, the musicians meet the Iranian musician Khorshid Dadbeh, master of the tanbur - a Persian string instrument with a warm, expressive sound. What follows is a musical journey that transcends the boundaries of style, culture, and time.
Khorshid Dadbeh excels in combining the power of tradition with improvisation and innovation like no other. Her playing adds an extra dimension to the music: raw and subdued, playful and profound. In dialogue with the Animato Quartet, a story unfolds that needs no words, only sound, rhythm, and breath.
Especially for the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam 2026, the Iranian-Dutch composer Aftab Darvishi composed the piece When the sky burns red. It is inspired by a sunset in Rotterdam, the city where she recently moved to. The piece will have its world premiere in January 2026 in Amsterdam. On February 5th, the wonderful acoustics of the old church will give these sounds their full splendor.
Program:
Claudio Monteverdi
Sfogava con le stelle
Darà la notte il sol
Henri Dutilleux
Ainsi la nuit
Aftab Darvishi
When the sky burns red
Osvaldo Golijov
Tenebrae
This special program - from the dramatic expression of Monteverdi and the layered sound textures of Dutilleux, through the deeply personal tone of the young Iranian-Dutch composer Aftab Darvishi to the inspired rhythms of Golijov - merges the sounds of the Western string quartet and the Persian tanbur into a rich palette of colors and textures.
This concert is not a classical performance in the traditional sense, but a musical encounter full of layers, surprises, and contrasts. For those open to the unknown and willing to be taken on a journey off the beaten path. You can watch a preview via the link below.
Concert 5 februari 2026 20:30
Theater Heerlen - LIMBURGzaal
Energie en virtuoos samenspel
Het upcoming Barbican Quartet brengt een nieuw, oorspronkelijk geluid in de kamermuziekwereld. Naast het geliefde Strijkkwartet Opus 20 No. 6 van Haydn en het String Quartet in F Major van Ravel excelleren de jonge musici in PLT in String Quartet No. 2 van Szymanowski. Dit stuk kom je niet vaak tegen in de concertzaal en moet je gewoon een keer (live) gehoord hebben.
Album van de week
Publiek en pers roemen de ‘Barbicans’ om hun “intieme, maar sterke uitvoeringen en virtuoos samenspel.” In 2022 wonnen zij het ARD Strijkkwartet Concours: “Fijn gestructureerd en virtuoos gebalanceerd…”, schreef de Süddeutsche Zeitung over hun spel. Ook hun in 2024 verschenen debuutalbum Manifesto on Love viel meteen in de prijzen. Meerdere zenders riepen het uit tot ‘Album van de week’. En OpusKlassiek schreef: “Met de vier stemmen schitterend in balans, een uitgekiend gebruik van alle gradaties van vibrato en een intense muzikaliteit is dit een pracht van een discografisch debuut met internationale uitstraling.”
Programma:
Haydn: Strijkkwartet Opus 20 No. 6
Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 2
Rebecca Clarke: Poem
Ravel : String Quartet in F Major
Concert 8 februari 2026 12:00
Kasteel Geldrop
The Viride Quartet was founded in 2017 by four musicians who were friends as students at the School for Young Talent at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. The quartet has since participated in events such as the Zeist Music Days, Crans Montana Classics (Switzerland), and Festival Residart (Italy), and has performed on stages such as Tivoli/Vredenburg, the Royal Concertgebouw, the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, and the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. Viride creates, according to many, a compelling energy on stage and performs a diverse repertoire; in addition to classical pieces, they also perform music by composers such as Willem Pijper, Leo Smit, and Kate Moore. This diversity has already seen collaborations with musicians and ensembles such as Cuarteto Quiroga, Marmen Quartet, Jerusalem Quartet, baritone Benjamin Appl, and pianist Anna Fedorova. In 2023, the quartet was selected as one of 38 string quartets to participate in MERITA, a European platform for knowledge exchange, training, performances, and the promotion of cultural heritage.
Concert 8 februari 2026 15:30
Oude Kerk, Oosterbeek
Het Skazka Kwartet, ontstaan in 2020, is een nieuw gezicht in het Nederlandse kwartetlandschap. Skazka (скáзка) is het Russische woord voor sprookje, en dat is precies wat het kwartet nastreeft: het vertellen van
verhalen. In 2022 hebben zij het Storioni Concours gewonnen. In december 2024 ontvingen ze van het Kersjes Fonds een strijkkwartetstipendium.
Concert 8 februari 2026 15:30
Amstelkerk, Amsterdam
Enjoy Matangi Moments, an atmospheric concert series exploring the sublime world of the string quartet in a surprising way.
Enjoy Matangi Moments, an atmospheric concert series exploring the sublime world of the string quartet in a surprising way, performed by Matangi, one of the Netherlands' leading and versatile ensembles.
Melancholic beauty and emotion converge in the Baltic Souls program. The music tells stories of quiet reflection, inner struggle, and the infinite power of nature, through composers such as Arvo Pärt (Estonia), Peteris Vasks (Latvia), and Jean Sibelius (Finland).
Program:
Arvo Pärt Fratres
Pēteris Vasks String Quartet No. 4
Jean Sibelius Voces Intimae
Concert 13 februari 2026 13:00
De Duif, Amsterdam
During this hour-long lunch concert, the ADAM Quartet will perform a refreshing program full of contrast between new music and well-known masterpieces from the string quartet repertoire.
Program:
Thomas Adès Movements from: Arcadiana
K. Szymanowski Movement from his String Quartet No. 1
Ludwig-Leone Exquisite Corpse
L. v. Beethoven Cavatina
J. Adams Toot Nipple
Masterclass 14 februari 2026 09:00 - 16 februari 2026
From February 14th to 17th, 2026, NSKA welcomes John Myerscough and Ying Xue of the internationally renowned Doric String Quartet for a special masterclass.
The Doric String Quartet is known for its elegant and intimate approach to both the classical repertoire and contemporary music. Their deep musical integrity and thoughtful interpretations have earned them a loyal audience worldwide. The quartet has performed integral cycles of composers such as Haydn, Mendelssohn, Britten, and Bartók in prestigious venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Currently, they are focusing on Beethoven, with an ongoing recording project with the Chandos label. The first part, released in 2023, was praised by The Times as 'a joy'. The series will be completed in 2026-2027, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the composer's death.
Their musical precision and historical awareness are also evident in their use of specially crafted historical-style bows for repertoire from Haydn to Mendelssohn. While they are renowned for their refined performances of the classical quartet repertoire, they are also actively involved in contemporary music. They perform works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Andrea Tarrodi, Peter Maxwell Davies, and Donnacha Dennehy. In 2019, they premiered Brett Dean's Third String Quartet, specially composed for them and commissioned by Musica Viva Australia, Carnegie Hall, the Edinburgh Festival, Konzerthaus Berlin, the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, and the West Cork Chamber Music Festival.
The curiosity and flexibility of the Doric String Quartet are reflected in an impressive discography of over 20 recordings for Chandos, their exclusive label since 2010, featuring repertoire from Purcell to John Adams. They are regular guests at Snape Maltings and Wigmore Hall in London, where they were the first ensemble to perform for a live audience after the lockdown. Each year they tour the United States and biennially to Japan, with performances at venues including Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Concert 15 februari 2026 14:30
De Schutse Uithoorn
This combination of instruments – three string players and a piano – had not been heard at the SCAU before. 'Marigold' means calendula: their first rehearsal space was on Goudsbloemstraat in Amsterdam. Mengjie Han (piano), Ruña ’t Hart (violin), Connie Pharoah (viola) and Kalle de Bie (cello) will perform three fantastic piano quartets: Mozart's second piano quartet KV 493, followed by Turina's three-part piano quartet Opus 67, featuring many Andalusian rhythms, and finally Dvorak's impassioned second piano quartet Opus 87, with numerous influences of Czech folk music.
Concert 15 februari 2026 15:00
PHIL Haarlem
This string quartet is based on Schubert's song of the same name and is considered a pillar of the chamber music repertoire. The motif "The Maiden and Death" has inspired many artists and represents a dance between a young woman and (a personification of) death.
The Barbican Quartet will also perform a quartet by Haydn, who wrote an impressive 68 quartes, and the only quartet Ligeti wrote while still living in his native Hungary.
Program:
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in D minor, Opus 20 No. 6
György Ligeti
String Quartet No. 1
Métamorphoses Nocturnes
Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Der Tod und das Mädchen’, D 810
Concert 20 februari 2026 20:00 - 6 maart 2026
Musis, Muzenzaal
Beethoven's Les Adieux as accompaniment to a monologue in favor of or against kingship? Stimulating notes by Joey Roukens in a discourse on existential fear? That can only be Spraakmakers. The formula of a (contemporary) classical work combined with a socially relevant theme and great actors and musicians remains a true success. This time, actress Georgina Verbaan and actor Jan Decleir provide the stimulating texts to the meaningful notes.
The idea of connecting classical music with today's world and the hot-button issues in society has become a tradition in the form of Spraakmakers. The music is played, while the speakers tell their story. Through the interaction of text and music, a grand theatrical music story emerges, both taking on a deeper meaning, making the music of long ago relevant in today's world.
Program:
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 26 "Les Adieux"
Roukens - What Remains
Musicians:
Hannes Minnaar – piano
Dudok Quartet
Georgina Verbaan and Jan Decleir – speakers
OTHER DATES:
21 FEB, Heerlen
22 FEB, Amsterdam
26 FEB, The Hague
27 FEB, Enschede
1 MARCH, Eindhoven
2 MARCH, Utrecht
6 MARCH, Amersfoort
Keizersgracht 241
1016 EA Amsterdam
info@nska.nl
