Together with the developing, talented brilliants of the Netherlands Youth String Orchestra (NYSO) and no less than three soloists, Vrienden Concerten will conclude our celebration of 750 years of Amsterdam with a grand finale. It will be an afternoon of musical gems, full of virtuosity and passion.

Fifteen-year-old Demian is an exceptional piano talent and is currently studying at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He came to the Netherlands as a refugee with his family when the Russian/Ukrainian war broke out. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is a work full of satire, emotion, and technical bravura, and is deeply rooted in the Russian tradition. A prominent role is reserved for the trumpet. It promises to be a deeply personal and captivating performance.

On the program also the piano concerto by Hans Henkemans, a hidden jewel from Dutch music history. And we are treated to even a few more rare gems, including the cello concerto by the almost forgotten composer Monn. This baroque beauty is brought back to life in the inspired hands of Pamela and the NYSO.

A festive closing concert after a year full of music, in which Amsterdam’s rich history and cultural diversity were honored in a special way. On to the future, in which all musical diamonds may shine in all their beauty!

Program:

Willem van Otterloo – Suite for String Orchestra

Hans Henkemans – Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra

Georg Matthias Monn – Cello Concerto in G minor

Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck – Fantasia Chromatica (arr. B. van den Sigtenhorst Meyer, 1951)

Dimitri Shostakovich – Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra in C minor, Opus 35