The Essentials series introduces you to the masterpieces you will be happy to know, performed by the world-famous Concertgebouw Orchestra, complete with a lively introduction by the incomparable Thomas Vanderveken. The next concert in the Essentials series is on April 24. Get your tickets!

Essential listening with the Concertgebouw Orchestra

In the Essentials series, the Concertgebouw Orchestra welcomes a new generation of music lovers, and the concerts typically have a pleasant, informal atmosphere. The concert starts at 9pm. The evening begins with an imaginative introduction to the programme (in Dutch). 

Discover Beethoven's Emperor Concerto

Together with conductor Elim Chan, pianist Yefim Bronfman and a healthy dose of fun, the Concertgebouw Orchestra will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. In his adventurous Fifth (and final) Piano Concerto, Beethoven explored the very boundaries of the genre. The work was nicknamed the "Emperor" Concerto because of its grand scale.

In many ways, the Piano Concerto No. 5 was ahead of its time, yet its popularity has remained undiminished thanks in part to the serene beauty of the slow middle movement. This impressive work is sure to fit Yefim Bronfman like a glove. The American pianist has been a much-loved guest soloist with the Concertgebouw for twenty-five years. 

Photo credit: Milagro Elstak

About the conductor 

Hong Kong-born Elim Chan studied in the United States at Smith College and at the University of Michigan. In 2013, she participated in the Bruno Walter Conducting Scholarship, and in 2015, she took masterclasses with Bernard Haitink.

In 2014, Elim Chan became the first female winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition; as a result, she was appointed assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for the 2015-16 season. The following season, she was part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Dudamel Fellowship Program.

From 2019 until 2024, Elim Chan was the chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, from 2018 to 2023, she was principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and in the 2022-23 season, she was artist-in-residence at the Wiener Musikverein alongside pianist Igor Levit and violinist Isabelle Faust. 

Elim Chan is in demand as a guest conductor, recent debuts including the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatskapelle Dresden. She also conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as the symphony orchestras of Houston, Berkeley, Detroit and Chicago.

Her Concertgebouw Orchestra debut was in 2018, when she conducted a King’s Night Concert. In September 2019, Elim Chan conducted both the orchestra’s Opening Night and a Children’s concert featuring Prokofiev’s ballet music, Cinderella. In August 2024, she returned, conducting works by Berlioz, Mendelssohn and Prokofiev.

Photo credit: Eduard Duslee

Concert programme

Here is the concert programme:

• Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"

Performers

Here are the performers:

• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Elim Chan, conductor
• Yefim Bronfman, piano

About the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra was founded in 1888. Its distinctive sound has made it one of the world’s leading orchestras.

The orchestra is renowned for its renditions of works by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Anton Bruckner, as well as its long-standing concert traditions, including the St. Matthew Passion in the week before Easter and the Christmas Matinee. It has always worked closely with contemporary composers.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra has had just seven chief conductors to date. The eighth was announced in 2022: Klaus Mäkelä joined as artistic partner in the 2022-23 season and will become chief conductor in 2027. The coming season sees five extraordinary programmes with Klaus Mäkelä at the helm.

Get your tickets

Check out the Concertgebouw Orchestra website for more information about the concert programme and the performers! The ticket price includes a complimentary glass of wine before the concert and at the interval, as well as free cloakroom use.