On Friday, March 8, Gustav Gimeno takes to the stage to conduct the Concertgebouw Orchestra as they perform The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. Get your tickets now!

Experience the innovative sound of The Rite of Spring at Concertgebouw

In 1913, Igor Stravinsky’s ballet music for The Rite of Spring shook the music world to its core. After a famously scandalous concert in Paris, this innovative work quickly assumed its rightful place on the concert stage. Stravinsky’s bold sound collages, pounding, angular rhythms and sharp contrasts were not only ultramodern but also very catchy. And The Rite of Spring continues to capture the hearts of successive generations of music lovers. 

Gustavo Gimeno began his career as a percussionist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. But he has since gone on to become a highly sought-after conductor, at the helm of orchestras in Luxembourg and Toronto. In the latter city, Gimeno has recently become well acquainted with the Canadian musical scene.

He will bring two exciting compositions with him, both making their Dutch debuts: Samy Moussa’s 2022 Second Symphony and a work by Kelly-Marie Murphy, which - despite what the title might suggest - is inspired by Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.

Image credit: Marco Borggreve

Gustavo Gimeno conducts the Concertgebouw Orchestra

Gustavo Gimeno has been principal conductor of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra since 2015, and Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 2020.  Between 2001 and 2013 he served as principal percussionist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.  

Gimeno studied orchestral conducting at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he took lessons and participated in masterclasses with Ed Spanjaard, Hans Vonk and Iván Fischer. He assisted Claudio Abbado with the Orchestra Mozart, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, as well as Bernard Haitink with the Orchestra Mozart and Mariss Jansons with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. 

Gimeno has been invited back to the Concertgebouw Orchestra on an annual basis. His last appearance with the orchestra was in June 2020, when he conducted its first rehearsals and concerts after the COVID-19 lockdown. In August 2022, he led Concertgebouworkest Young.

For more information, please visit the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra website. 

Concert programme

Here’s what's on the concert programme:

• Kelly-Marie Murphy - Curiosity, Genius, and the Search for Petula Clark (Dutch premiere)
• Samy Moussa - Symphony No. 2 (Dutch première)
• Interval
• Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Performers

Here are the performers for the event:

• Gustavo Gimeno - Conductor
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

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, Antonio Pappano, Myung-whun Chung and Joanna Mallwitz 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 the 2022-23 season and will become chief conductor in 2027. The coming season sees five extraordinary programmes with Klaus Mäkelä at the helm. 

Buy your tickets!

Get your tickets for The Rite of Spring on the Concertgebouw Orchestra website and enjoy a free glass of wine as well as use of the staffed cloakroom included in the price of admission.