Orlando Festival 2012 – enlist now!

People can now enlist for the Orlando Festival. Musicians form all ages and proficiency levels come together in the beautiful abbey of Rolduc from the 10^th until the 19^th of August. Amateur ensembles, professional ensembles, adults and youngsters; nine days everybody enjoys chamber music in all its splendour. The ensembles receive lessons during the day from professionals who in their turn perform in concerts at night in the theatres of Kerkrade and Heerlen (South of the Netherlands). At Rolduc there are, besides the lessons and master classes, workshops, inspirational lectures, several meet&greet opportunities, concerts and more.

The Rubens Quartet announces a new CD with music composed and arranged by Joey Roukens

This disc serves as a document of Roukens' two-year-long composer-in-residence status with the Quartet, made possible by the Performing Arts Fund (NFPK), and features works of Josquin Desprez (transcribed Roukens), Mozart and Roukens himself.

Go to www.rubensquartet.com to order a copy!

Chamber music practise is the basis of every skill a classical musician needs: listening, reacting, colouring, toning, styling, communicating – and of course it is not just a way to learn all this, but a goal in itself.

At the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, The Netherlands, chamber music is placed in the Bachelor II and III curriculum. Of course students play chamber music during all their studies (a chamber music piece is obligatory for the Bachelor final exam), but this part of the curriculum is organised by the school.

The monthly masterclasses by internationally acclaimed string quartet specialists as organized by the Netherlands StringQuartet Academy (NSQA) are also accessible for quartets not studying at the NSQA.   Existing quartets consisting of music students or starting professionals can subscribe for masterclass participation through this form; a brief audition is required. There is no tuition fee for active participation in the masterclasses (travel/accommodation costs to be covered by quartets).

For more information contact NSQA, Liesbeth Kok (call: 020 463 7494 or mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Post submission form to NSQA, Atlantisplein 1, 1093 NE Amsterdam or email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Founder and Director Stefan Metz was honored during the 30^th anniversary festival this summer, including a gala final concert which featured Metz playing Schubert’s great string quintet with the Casals Quartet. Metz had previously announced that he would be retiring as artistic director of the festival, and would be succeeded by Maarten Mostert. Mostert organized a moving tribute to Metz and his wife Isabelle Bensa at the final concert by providing the entire audience and festival musicians with a Dutch version of the famous “Adieu, Monsieur le Professeur”, which was then sung and played by the standing, capacity crowd as a collective encore to the Schubert Quintet. ECMTA Chairman Evan Rothstein attended the final weekend of the festival and presented Metz with a certificate expressing appreciation "for his inspired leadership, distinguished artistic career, and exemplary devotion to the teaching and the promotion of chamber music."

Take a look at photos in the photo gallery >>

Read more (press release) >>

The International Festival of Wind Playing OnWings! is taking place from the 19^th until the 21^st of May 2011 in the Dutch city of Groningen. Part of this festival is a unique presentation competition. Ensembles can sign up for two or three of these categories:

• 19.05.2011 children's concert in De Oosterpoort, Groningen;

• 19./20.05.2011 concert for a regular audience in De Oosterpoort, Groningen;

• 21.05.2011 concert on a special venue for a new audience in the inner city of Groningen.

In June 2009 OnWings! presented itself for the first time with a grand opening! 55 concerts were given with in total 860 musicians during four fabulous festival days. In this coming edition OnWings! will be even bigger!

 The Orlando Festival, held in and around the beautiful abbey of Rolduc in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, will celebrate its 30th birthday this summer, from 24 July to 7 August 2011.

It will also be the last festival edition of founder and artistic director Stefan Metz. For this special 30th festival edition, seven first prize winners of international string quartet competitions have been invited to perform and teach at Rolduc, among which the Pavel Haas Quartet, Casals Quartet and Quator Danel.