This famous Dutch soprano is received warm-heartedly with loud cheers for her contributions to international opera performances and special recitals.

Francine van der Heijden (soprano) and colleagues

Dutch soprano Francine van der Heijden had the great honour to sing "Agnus Dei" from Mozart's Requiem and "Tebye poyem" from Rachmaninov during the funeral ceremony of H.R.H. Prince Claus of The Netherlands, husband of H.M. Queen Beatrix, in the ancient city of Delft.

"The grace and the fury of Royer's pieces filled the hall from the first moment untill the end." Italian musicality and passion.

Alessandra Iovino harpsichordist and conductor baroque ensemble Cappella Musicale Augusta on period instruments

Alessandra Iovino has played for many ancient music festivals both as soloist with passion and energy to promote also the harpsichord’s repertoire and with her ensemble “La Rosa dell’Umbria - baroque ensemble with original instruments” founded in 2004 . Her repertoire includes the principal schools of this instrument from XVI/XVII century until the “stile galante” (Haydn and Mozart included). Very esteemed are her French music performances (“La grazia e la furia di Royer hanno riempito la sala dal primo all’ultimo minuto; si passava da pezzi squisitamente melodici ad altri in cui a farla da padrone era il ritmo ostinato tipico di alcuni brani di questo compositore” Silvio Villa, Controluce 2007).

Drama and richness of colors with the music of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and... Piazzolla

Barbara Erdner, violin; Frank Wakelkamp, violoncello; Ursula Dütschler, fortepiano

The fortepiano trio Camerata 1800 depicts the musical atmosphere of the period around 1800 playing on original instruments or copies thereof in order to enhance the rhetoric, drama and colours of the music of that era. The players are eager to challenge and support each other in their alternating solo and supporting roles. In addition to the works of the great and famous masters like Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, Camerata 1800 likes to program unknown and rarely performed compositions to surprise the audience. The ensemble also invites gladly guest musicians to extend its sound palette and repertoire.

Imagine yourself in the elegant ballrooms, at official receptions, the bourgeois parties or even at impressive funerals of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Alayne Leslie / Onno Verschoor / Diego Nadra, oboe; Renée Allen / Bolko Kloosterman / Hylke Rozema, natural horn; Nikolaus Broda / Marita Schaar, bassoon.

Thanks to the Classical period, we tend to think of a wind quintet including a flute and a clarinet. It is a less well-known fact that before the Classical period, there was a wealth of music written for wind instruments. In the Renaissance, there were "bands" with shawms and zinks, which were blown similar to trumpets. This tradition still exists in Catalunia, where "coblas" include modern shawms and brass instruments.

Narrative strings, on three different harps

Marjan de Haer (harps) and colleagues

Marjan de Haer is a versatile musician: she is not only starred in the major concertos for solo harp, but she is gifted in performing the small as well. She forms a duo with narrator Mia Verbeelen, which offers performances suited for children aged 8 to 88...

Diversity and frivolity from Amsterdam, whether as duo, ensemble or orchestra. Instrumental chamber music and baroque cantatas to early classical string quintets.

Onno Verschoor, baroque oboe / recorder; Henriëtte Bakker, baroque bassoon / recorder; Jan Pieter van Coolwijk and Evert Jan Schuur, baroque violin; Rachael Yates and Niek Idema, viola; Wilma van der Wardt, baroque cello; Hendrik-Jan Wolfert, violone; Susanne Braumann, viola da gamba; Harjo Neutkens, lute; Stefano Intrieri, continuo.

Accademia Amsterdam is inspired by an Italian institution flourishing in the 17th and 18th centuries - the accademia - where people gathered to make music and discuss wide-ranging subjects. Accademia Amsterdam follows this tradition in as much as the musicians work together to reach a clear interpretation of the music. The main aim of playing concerts is to give pleasure to the audience. This is achieved through the “Speaking Style”, which has its roots in Rhetoric. Use of Rhetoric opens up the colourful world of Affect, these days described as the world of feeling.

What links together Haendel, Froberger, Muffat, Kircher, Kapsberger up to the Salzburg-born Mozart? An enchanting attraction towards the ‘prodigious baroque workshop’ of the eternal city, Rome!

Claudia Farneti - soprano, Giordano Antonelli - violoncino, Giovanni La Marca - viola da gamba, Cecilia Montanaro - organ, Simone Vallerotonda - theorbo

Welcome into the world of Musica Antiqua Latina. Giordano Antonelli director and baroque cellist has founded the ensemble, based in Rome, specifically devoted to the renaissance of early Italian baroque repertoire, performing on original instruments at period pitch. The cellist L.Quandt, Konzertmeister of the Berliner Philharmoniker, wrote about him: “…Giordano Antonelli is one of the rare musicians, who are able to create links between active musicians and music scientists as well as to build up and to lead ensembles which perform ‘directly from the archieves’.

Podiumbeesten! (Stage animals!) will take you to a wondrous world full of music and animals which will stimulate the imagination of any child or grown-up person.

Dimitri Ivanov, Elvira of Groningen - violin, Dana Zemtsov - viola Mark of Munckhof - cello, Nienke Kosters - bass, Ilonka Kolthof - flute, Jesse Faber - clarinet, Lennarc Nijs, percussion
The Scholtes-Janssens Piano Duo, Lestari Scholtes & Gwylim Janssens
Narrator: Vera Gouka

The concert spectacle Stage animals! is a dazzling concert with animals as its theme. The main act is the charming Carnival of the Animals, composed by Saint-Saens.

"This artist has obvious qualities which make of him one of the most interesting talents in the new generation. His playing was really convincing and clever. His noble style is very seldom today."

Adalberto Maria Riva, piano

Winner of several national and international prizes, the pianist from Milan Adalberto Maria Riva received in 2008 a special mention at the International Competition of Music IBLA Grand Prize. A distinction which allows him to undertake a tour in the USA in April 2009 with a concert in Carnegie Hall, New York.

Vera Kooper has the rare ability to penetrate to the very expressive core of the music...

Vera Kooper, piano solo

...this quality, multiplied by impressive instrumental control and all-out dedication, allow her to turn each performance into a poetic, moving artistic experience – a phenomenon as uncommon with young performers today as it is precious.
Emanuel Krasovsky