Over 300 concerts in the 2026-2027 season at Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ

The 2026–2027 season brings leading artists, premieres and new series. With over 300 concerts, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ presents the 2026–2027 season as a powerful statement for contemporary music. Leading international musicians, new compositions, and adventurous concert formats come together in a programme that pushes boundaries and aims to reach new audiences.

New creators, new forms and new audiences

With new series and programming that bring together different musical traditions, Muziekgebouw is firmly committed to audience development. General Director Boudewijn Berentsen calls it "a place where both enthusiasts and newcomers are challenged." This season, Muziekgebouw opens its doors "even wider - to new creators, new forms and new audiences."

"a place where both enthusiasts and newcomers are challenged."

New series: music beyond the concert format

With two new series, the Muziekgebouw explores two extremes of how music can be experienced today: as an interdisciplinary total experience or as a concentrated listening experience.

Unbound

Unbound brings together concerts that combine music with other disciplines. Sound takes on visual and physical dimensions: movement, scenography, and light are integral parts of the experience. No set formats, but theatrical evenings that break open the traditional concert format - from Stravinsky with marionettes to classical repertoire with dance. Think of it as a series intended for curious cultural explorers seeking more than just a concert in a classical setting.

Minimal

Minimal, on the other hand, focuses on the intensity of listening itself. At its heart lies minimal music: a sonic world of repetition, subtle shifts and pulsating energy, in which time seems to stretch. The series features key works by Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Louis Andriessen alongside contemporary approaches by, for example, Brìgdhe Chaimbeul. Large-scale ensemble works such as Reich’s The Desert Music and iconic pieces such as Andriessen’s Hoketus demonstrate the physical and hypnotic power of this music.

Focus on Aimard: A modern master in four concerts.

Another cornerstone of the season is the Focus on Aimard series. As one of the foremost advocates of contemporary music, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard explores a wide-ranging repertoire across four concerts, from Beethoven to Charles Ives and from George Benjamin to Elliott Carter. In collaboration with, among others, composer George Benjamin himself and Ensemble Musikfabrik, a series emerges that demonstrates how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

Premières: Building tomorrow’s repertoire

New music forms the beating heart of the Muziekgebouw’s programme, with the Thursday Evening Series at its centre. The coming season will feature Dutch premieres of works by Georg Friedrich Haas, Rebecca Saunders, George Benjamin and Thomas Lacôte. Klangforum Wien presents a world premiere by Catherine Lamb, the Münchener Kammerorchester, conducted by Bas Wiegers, performs a new work by Trevor Grahl, and the Netherlands Chamber Choir gives the world premiere of I Am the Truth! by Zad Moultaka. In this way, the Muziekgebouw actively contributes to the development of new music and its introduction to a wide audience.

Other highlights of the 26–27 season

• Leading soloists in the piano series: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Bruce Liu (winner of the Chopin Competition), Anna Vinnitskaya, Angela Hewitt and Marc-André Hamelin perform a repertoire ranging from Beethoven and Chopin to Ligeti.
• International star singers will perform in the Great Singers series, including Philippe Jaroussky, Fatma Said, Matthias Goerne, Ian Bostridge and Barbara Hannigan.
• Leading string quartets such as Quatuor Danel, Cuarteto Casals, Quatuor Modigliani and Attacca Quartet will present the core repertoire alongside new works.
• Chamber orchestras, choirs and ensembles combine classical repertoire with new music, including Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Latvian Radio Choir, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Kremerata Baltica with Midori and Gidon Kremer. Early music at the highest level is presented by ensembles such as Vox Luminis and Pygmalion.
• Jazz, global and cross-overs with groundbreaking artists such as Jlin and Third Coast Percussion, Lakecia Benjamin, the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw and international musicians from Turkish, Indian and Arabic musical traditions. The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra celebrates its 15th anniversary with its own series, AAO15!
• The eleventh edition of the Cello Biennale Amsterdam: the world’s largest cello festival, running for ten days in October and November at the Muziekgebouw and Bimhuis.

About Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ

Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ is the leading concert hall in the Netherlands for contemporary music and related genres, including classical, jazz, world and electronic music. The building, beautifully situated on the IJ in the heart of Amsterdam, presents over 300 concerts annually and systematically programmes a large number of world and Dutch premieres each season. This gives Muziekgebouw a unique position, both nationally and internationally.

Ticket sales

Ticket sales for the 2026–2027 season have been running since March 31, 2026, and the early booking discount runs through October 1, 2026. Get your tickets on the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ website.