Get ready for this irresistible performance of a hidden Renaissance gem - and more - at Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.

A “new” St John Passion with Dionysos Now! 

Moving stories and magnificent music: during Easter 2026, Muziekgebouw spotlights profoundly human narratives that have inspired masterpieces for centuries. This special daytime concert brings a rare St John Passion composition by Adriaen Willaert into the present - paired with the shimmering, modern textures of György Ligeti on harpsichord. 

While Bach’s St John Passion is the best-known, the Easter narrative according to the Gospel of John inspired many composers long before him. Dionysos Now!, a young vocal ensemble led by tenor and artistic director Tore Tom Denys, has revived Willaert’s St John Passion (Passio Domini Jesu Christi secundum Joannem) after more than four centuries of silence, a must-hear for the curious listener and lovers of Renaissance polyphony alike. 

One of the oldest St John Passions ever written: a 16th-century rediscovery

Willaert’s Passion unfolds in flowing polyphony: the Evangelist is set for four voices, Christ for three, other characters for two, and the “turba” (crowd) in six parts. An architecture that heightens the drama without operatic solos, and one that has only recently re-entered the concert hall. Dionysos Now! has been central to this rediscovery, presenting the work across Europe and on record.

To bridge old and new, the programme places Willaert alongside Ligeti’s groundbreaking harpsichord miniatures Continuum (1968) and Hungarian Rock (1978).

In Continuum, Ligeti sought a paradoxically continuous stream of sound from the harpsichord’s percussive mechanism, an effect achieved through ultra-rapid figuration. The composer dedicated the piece to harpsichord pioneer Antoinette Vischer. Hungarian Rock fuses Baroque chaconne form and folk rhythmic drive and has become a modern classic of the harpsichord repertoire. 

An expert at play

At the harpsichord is Catalina Vicens, a widely respected historical keyboards specialist (and curator of Bologna’s Tagliavini Collection), known for bringing ancient instruments and new music into vivid dialogue. Her presence amplifies the concert’s concept: early music heard anew, and new sounds informed by early technique. 

Here are three great reasons to attend

1. A true Easter discovery: hear a rare 16th-century St John Passion restored to life with the clarity and intensity of one of Europe’s most exciting Renaissance ensembles.
2. Old meets new: Ligeti’s Continuum and Hungarian Rock illuminate how early keyboard sonorities inspired a 20th-century master.
3. Festival context: This concert is part of the Easter 2026 music festival, comprising moving stories and magnificent music at Muziekgebouw. 

Programme

Here's the complete concert programme:

• Adriaen Willaert - St John Passion (Passio Domini Jesu Christi secundum Joannem)
• György Ligeti - Hungarian Rock (Chaconne)
• György Ligeti - Continuum
• Adriaen Willaert - Pater Noster

Performers

• Dionysos Now! vocal ensemble
• Catalina Vicens, harpsichord

Practical info

• Date & time: Monday, April 6, 2026, 3pm-5pm
• Venue: Main Hall, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Piet Heinkade 1, 1019 BR, Amsterdam
• Tickets: available on the Muziekgebouw aan t' IJ website

Get your tickets! 

Don’t miss your chance to catch Dionysos Now! live in Amsterdam - get your tickets. Standard adult tickets cost 35 euros, concession tickets cost 28 euros, and 12,50 euros for an early bird youth ticket.