This December, the VU-Kamerorkest presents a sophisticated winter program featuring a premier selection of classical and contemporary works. The upcoming concert series places a distinctive spotlight on modern Dutch talent with a performance of Bram Kortekaas’s vibrant orchestral work, Divertimento for Orchestra.

Originally commissioned in 2024 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the professional orchestra Phion, Divertimento for Orchestra has been widely praised by critics — including De Volkskrant —for its masterclass in orchestration and immediate accessibility.

Led by conductor Ivan Meylemans, the orchestra will bring Kortekaas’s celebratory piece to life, showcasing the exceptional musicality of this prominent amateur chamber orchestra. The balanced program contrasts this contemporary energy with the profound depth of Karol Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater—performed in collaboration with the VU-Kamerkoor — and Robert Schumann’s authoritative 4th Symphony.