Celebrate the summer of 2025 with international stars at the Concertgebouw! In July and August, you can enjoy the best of pop, jazz and soul at the Basement Sessions!

Discover the sound of the future in the intimate Koorzaal of the Concertgebouw

Head down to the atmospheric Koorzaal - the hidden gem in the basement of the Concertgebouw - for an unforgettable hour of pop, jazz and soul performed by rising stars on the international music scene - Friday nights at 7.30pm and 9.30pm.

Don't miss the chance to witness these exciting talents of today, live and up close:

ESINAM & Sibusile Xaba (July 4)

Using rhythm and groove as their language, ESINAM and Sibusile Xaba craft hypnotic musical journeys that transcend time, blending melodies from the past and future. Their debut collaborative album Healing Voices, released in April, is a kaleidoscope of influences, from Ghanaian Highlife to traditional Zulu and Ewe songs, woven together with a contemporary edge where acoustic textures meet electronic innovation.

Photo: Maël G. Lagadec

Meral Polat Quartet - A bold new voice (July 11)

Meral Polat recently released her album Meydana Gel - an album that boldly amplifies her own voice and her Alevi-Kurdish roots. Inspired by the powerful rallying cry JIN, JIYAN, AZADI (Woman, Life, Freedom), the new work explores themes of feminine strength and resistance against oppression.

Meydana Gel fuses the rich traditions of Anatolian and Mesopotamian music with psychedelic rock, African rhythms, and the haunting, storytelling vocals of the Dengbej tradition, creating a sound that is both deeply rooted and fearlessly modern.

Photo: Peter de Jong Fotografie

HAMRAAZ - Bridging cultures (July 18)

In HAMRAAZ, Lucie Lelaurain and Khorshid Dadbe unite their Iranian and French roots to create a musical bridge between Iranian and Armenian traditions. This results in contemporary compositions and improvisations where the fusion of genres, cultures, and eras takes centre stage.

Using instruments such as the tanbur-guitar, tār (lute), and duduk (a woodwind instrument), they dissolve boundaries between musical styles, times, and cultures, creating a rich, cross-cultural dialogue. 

Photo: Carmen Reynolds

Wasim Arslan - a timeless musical world (August 15)

With powerful poetic lyrics and a deeply moving sound, Wasim Arslan touches the core of human emotion. His music explores life’s greatest contrasts: passion and fear, unity and division, light and darkness. His style is versatile - ranging from soul-stirring ballads to high-energy dance tracks - blending acoustic, electronic, traditional, and folkloric elements into a sound that is uniquely his.

Collaborating with musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, Wasim creates a musical world that is unmistakably his own: timeless, rooted in both the ancient and the modern, blending Arabic and global influences, all tied together by his expressive, emotionally charged voice.

Photo: Andrea Röell

Sons of Jumira - adventures into jazz (August 22)

Amsterdam-based trio Sons of Jumira creates fresh, forward-thinking jazz compositions through their dynamic interplay and fearless creativity.  The result? A bold, invigorating take on contemporary jazz that has earned them praise from fans of adventurous live music.

The trio features Ranie Ribeiro on harp, Julian Tjon Sack Kie on double bass and Mill Voyance on drums. Together, they push sonic boundaries through improvisation, expressiveness, and experimentation. Their sound is a lively dialogue, rooted in jazz, but shaped by their diverse cultural backgrounds and a non-classical approach to their instruments.

Photo: Terra Isis Gitane

Marta Arpini - A dazzling new chapter in Indie jazz-folk (August 29)

Marta Arpini feels everything there is to feel. A jazz vocalist at heart, Marta increasingly finds herself wandering into the world of indie folk. Her album Tender Superpower is rich with the subtle, behind-the-glass magic of artists like Blake Mills, Bill Frisell, and Andy Shauf. Its carefully crafted, deceptively simple arrangements create space for her luminous, diary-like lyrics to shine, reminiscent of Adrianne Lenker and Elliott Smith.

Are you feeling the summer vibes already? 

There are over 80 concerts to choose from! As extras in the summer, you can enjoy a pink gin & tonic in the interval and attend the Meet & Greets after many concerts, or hit the dancefloor at an afterparty with a DJ. The SummerConcerts are powered by VriendenLoterij. For the complete programme, visit the Concertgebouw website.

Reserve your SummerConcerts tickets

Buy your tickets now and celebrate your summer with music at the Concertgebouw! Browse the Concertgebouw website for more details.

Header photo: Govert Driessen, courtesy of the Concertgebouw