Concert 1 december 2025 09:00 - 14 december 2025
Tournee Indonesië
In December 2025, the Adam Quartet will travel to Indonesia for an inspiring series of workshops and concerts. During this tour, they will meet young musicians, share knowledge, and perform at special locations in Medan, Surabaya, and Jakarta.
Program
Surabaya
Thursday, December 4, 2025 – Workshop
Location and time to be announced
Friday, December 5, 2025 – Concert
Petra University Surabaya, time to be announced
Medan
Monday, December 8, 2025 – Workshop
Sumatra Conservatoire, time to be announced
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 – Concert
Charles Wesley CBD Polonisa, time to be announced
Jakarta
Friday, December 12, 2025 – Concert
Erasmus Huis, starting at 19:30
With this tour, the Adam Quartet brings chamber music to various parts of Indonesia, collaborating with conservatories and cultural institutions. A wonderful opportunity for musical exchange and international connection!
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 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.
Masterclass 30 januari 2026 09:00 - 1 februari 2026
From January 30th to February 1st, 2026, the NSKA welcomes the versatile musician Shunske Sato for an inspiring masterclass.
Shunske Sato is a violinist who effortlessly moves between solo playing and leading ensembles, both on baroque violin and modern violin. In addition, he is active as a conductor of instrumental as well as vocal ensembles.
His musical approach is deeply inspired by historically informed performance practice from all style periods. For Sato, the performance parameters from the past are an essential starting point to bring music to life in a lively way. He is particularly engaged in groundbreaking research on performance practices from the 19th century, and regularly gives lectures and workshops on this subject.
Masterclass 14 februari 2026 09:00 - 17 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.
Masterclass 13 maart 2026 09:00 - 15 maart 2026
From March 13 to 15, 2026, NSKA welcomes Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet) and Simone Gramaglia (Quartetto di Cremona) for a unique masterclass with two grandmasters of the string quartet.
Gerhard Schulz was born in Linz and studied violin with Franz Samohyl at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, with Sándor Végh at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, and with Shmuel Ashkenasi in the United States. He was a co-founder of the Salzburg String Trio and the Schulz Ensemble, and was the first violinist of the Düsseldorf String Quartet.
Since 1980, he has been a professor of violin at the University of Music in Vienna and since 1993 a guest professor of chamber music at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne. For more than 30 years, he was a member of the renowned Alban Berg Quartet, with whom he performed in all major music centers worldwide. After the quartet's activities ended in 2008, he founded the Waldstein Ensemble, a piano quartet.
Simone Gramaglia first visited NSKA in November 2022 and is now returning. His arrival marks the continuation of the collaboration with Le Dimore del Quartetto, a concert organization based in Milan, active throughout Europe, where Gramaglia serves as artistic director.
As a violist and co-founder of the Quartetto di Cremona (founded in 2000), he dedicates himself with great passion to chamber music. He collaborates with leading musicians such as Antonio Meneses, Lawrence Dutton, Jamie Walton, Eckart Runge, Giovanni Sollima, David Orlowsky, the Pavel Haas String Quartet, and the Emerson String Quartet.
Gramaglia performs in the most prestigious concert halls worldwide, including Lincoln Center in New York, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Wigmore Hall in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, NCPA in Beijing, Salle Gaveau in Paris, and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Keizersgracht 241
1016 EA Amsterdam
info@nska.nl
