Dutch Musical Treasures

On Thursday 24 April 2025, you can attend the festive preview of the Composer’s Day 2025 and Dutch musical treasures around Willem Pijper in the studios of the Heuvellaan in Hilversum. The Omroep Muziek Foundation, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, VPRO Vrije Geluiden and New Music NOW join forces around Dutch composers and composers active in the Netherlands. The programme starts at 19:30 (walk-in from 19:00) with the announcement of the line-up of the 4th Composer’s Day, which will take place on and around 21 June 2025. New Music NOW reveals the line-up of Composer’s Day and the 10-day specials that precede it. Composer of the Netherlands, Anne-Maartje Lemereis, introduces the newest city composers to you, and the young dynamic MAAT Saxophone Quartet gives a sneak peek of the train and station concerts, which they will play as a festival ensemble. At 20:15 you can enjoy Dutch musical treasures around Willem Pijper, by the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Wilson Ng. Pijper is considered one of the most influential composers in Dutch music history. The program consists of a number of striking works by Pijper. In addition, compositions by a number of his students will be heard: Iet Stants, Hans Henkemans and Kees van Baaren. VPRO Vrije Geluiden makes radio recordings of this concert.

19:00 doors open

19:30 – 20:15 | Preview Composer’s Day 2025 | Hal Heuvellaan Hilversum

Maat Saxophone Quartet

Announcement City Composers

Announcement of program and line-up Composer’s Day, which will take place on and around June 21, 2025 in more than 20 cities in the Netherlands

20:15 – 21:45 | Rondom Willem Pijper | Studio 5 Heuvellaan Hilversum

Program full of Dutch musical treasures, compiled by VPRO Vrije Geluiden. 

The concert will be recorded by VPRO for broadcast around Composer’s Day.

Program:

Kees van Baaren: Sinfonia

Willem Pijper: Fêtes galantes for mezzo-soprano and orchestra

Iet Stants: Suite for orchestra

Hans Henkemans: Primavera

Willem Pijper: Septet