Don't miss Concertgebouw Orchestra's Opening Night at NDSM-Wharf - a free open air concert on Friday, September 8 at 8.15pm.

Free open air concert at NDSM-Wharf 

After the huge success of the 2021 and 2022 Opening Nights on Dam Square and in Westerpark respectively, the Concertgebouw Orchestra will again kick off the new concert season at a spectacular location in Amsterdam, the NDSM Wharf in Amsterdam-Noord. Gianandrea Noseda conducts an infectious programme full of dance and rhythmic energy. Well-known masterpieces such as Ravel’s Bolero and Smetana’s Moldau can be heard in addition to a few special surprises, including a world premiere.

The concert starts in a festive Viennese manner with the overture to Johann Strauss’ cheerful operetta, Die Fledermaus. The flamboyant waltz that erupts after two and a half minutes may sound familiar! In Smetana’s Moldau, we hear how a mighty river meanders past hills, villages and a peasant festival.

Tap your feet to the rhythms of the well-known Polovtsian Dances by Borodin and those of Polish composer Grazyna Bacawicz’s stubbornly optimistic Overture for Orchestra, written in the middle of the Second World War. After the crazy world premiere of Madhouse by the young up-and-coming Dutchman Xavier van de Poll, we conclude with the irresistibly sensual and rousing sounds of Ravel’s Bolero.

All up-to-date information about this concert may be found on the Concertgebouw Orchestra website.

On radio and television

You can listen to a live AVROTROS radio broadcast of the concert on NPO Klassiek. The concert will also be televised the following evening at 10.30pm on NPO 2. 

Opening Night 2023 is realised in collaboration with Stichting NDSM-Werf. The opening Night of the Concertgebouw Orchestra is made possible by the support of Global Partners ING, Unilever and Booking.com, who aim to make classical music accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

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 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.

World-famous guest conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Iván Fischer, Daniel Harding and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla will be coming to Amsterdam to lead the orchestra next season. 

The Concertgebouw Orchestra has had just seven chief conductors to date. The eighth was announced on June 10, 2022: Klaus Mäkelä joined as artistic partner in 2022-23 season and will become chief conductor in 2027. The coming season sees five extraordinary programmes with Klaus Mäkelä at the helm. 

Plan your visit to Concertgebouw Orchestra's Opening Night at NDSM-Wharf

Get ready for a spectacular and invigorating night of music - for free! Plan your visit to Concertgebouw Orchestra's Opening Night at NDSM-Wharf in Amsterdam North, which is easy to reach by public ferry from Amsterdam Central Station.