Concertgebouw Orchestra performs Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

Oct 23, 2026

9pm-10:15pm

Main Hall, Concertgebouw, Concertgebouwplein 10, 1071 LN Amsterdam

From 20 euros

Don't miss the chance to listen to the Concertgebouw Orchestra performing the monumental Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven on October 23, conducted by Riccardo Minasi.

The Essentials Series at the Concertgebouw

Each year, the Essentials Series focuses on an essential masterwork, a piece of music every music lover should know, performed by the Concertgebouw Orchestra and introduced (in Dutch) by the lively presenter Thomas Vanderveken in his own unique way.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is the essential masterpiece featured during the Essentials on October 23.

Essentials Series concert on October 23

Here's what you need to know:

What: Concertgebouw Orchestra Essentials: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
When: October 23, 2026 at 9pm
Where: Main Hall, Concertgebouw, Concertgebouwplein 10, 1071 LN Amsterdam
Tickets: From 20 euros (including drinks)

Conductor Minasi

During the Essentials series, the Concertgebouw Orchestra welcomes a new generation of music lovers, and the concerts typically have a pleasant informal atmosphere, kicking off with an imaginative introduction to the programme (in Dutch).

These are perhaps the most famous four notes in the history of music: Beethoven’s "da-da-da-daaaa" motif, like a knock at the door in the Fifth Symphony. This motif is the germ from which unfolds an extraordinarily ingenious structure that sounds as urgent today as it did over 200 years ago. The orchestra is performing this exhilarating early 19th-century masterpiece under the direction of Riccardo Minasi.

But first, you'll hear another 19th-century hit, one that is largely forgotten today - in fact, this marks the very first performance of Emilie Mayer’s Faust Overture in the Netherlands!

For tickets, visit Essentials: Concertgebouw Orchestra

Programme

Emilie Mayer - Faust Overture
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5

Performers

Concertgebouw Orchestra
Riccardo Minasi, conductor
Thomas Vanderveken, host

Concertgebouw Building Exterior

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 famous for its renditions of works by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Anton Bruckner, and for its long-standing concert traditions such as 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 chief conductor designate in the 2022-23 season and will become chief conductor in 2027.