Come and experience the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22 and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 at the Concertgebouw.
Marc Albrecht conducts Bruckner - an annual tradition
It has become a tradition for the chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Marc Albrecht, to conduct one of Bruckner's symphonies every year. During these concerts on June 7 and 8, he will conduct Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.
The symphony is a compelling work because of its melodic richness and warm timbre. Dedicated to Ludwig II of Bavaria, it is one of his best-known symphonies. The premiere in Leipzig on December 30, 1884, brought Bruckner the greatest success he had known in his life.
Pianist Martin Helmchen plays Mozart
With his highly virtuosic yet unpretentious style, Martin Helmchen has taken his place among the great pianists of his generation. The New York Times wrote: "Mr Helmchen has a noble bearing and a noble sound, shaping lines as elegant and clean as a Greek temple’s."
Helmchen will play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22, which was completed in 1785 as the young composer was approaching the height of his popularity in Vienna. Apart from Mozart’s usual formal perfection and melodic genius, this concerto is especially noteworthy for its colourful woodwind writing, which employs clarinets instead of the oboes expected in an orchestra of this era.
About the conductor
Marc Albrecht has been Principal Conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra (NedPhO|NKO), as well as the Dutch National Opera since 2011 and will continue in the post throughout the 2019 / 2020 season.
Albrecht is well known for his interpretations of the great late-Romantics – Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss – but has also done much to champion the work of lesser-known composers. During his international career, he has conducted the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic and the Royal Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Marc Albrecht has conducted numerous productions of the Dutch National Opera, including Die Frau ohne Schatten and Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, Enescu’s Œdipe, The Magic Flute by Mozart, Gurre-Lieder by Schoenberg, as well as Wagner’s Lohengrin and Parsifal. Albrecht is in great international demand as an opera conductor.
Concertgebouw - the home of classical music in Amsterdam
Finished in 1888, the Concertgebouw faces Museumplein and has been the centre of the classical music sphere in the Netherlands for more than 100 years. It comprises three superb performance halls: the magnificent Main Hall for orchestral performances, the Small Hall for quartets and chamber music, and the cosy Choir Hall for small recitals.
Annual attendance has reached 800.000, meaning that the Concertgebouw has the world’s second-highest attendance record of its kind amongst other concert halls.