Two concerts, masterclasses and open rehearsals

The Royal Conservatoire was founded by King William I in 1826. In its nearly 175 years of existence the school of music has grown into an internationally renowned institute where music and dance, science and practice, study and performance meet on a high level. Today the Royal Conservatoire is an up-to-date institute for education and training in music and dance. The Royal Conservatoire stands for a multitude of activities, courses, training and schooling. The quality of the education at the Royal Conservatoire is high and the facilities are optimal. 
www.koncon.nl

The Royal Conservatory is proud to present two concerts that represent two main streams of its activity. Professors and students of the early music department, specialized in the field of historic performance practice, will perform a program with vocal and instrumental contributions from the 17th and 18th century. The classical department presents a chamber music program. Through these activities in Shanghais the Conservatory wishes to give Chinese students a view on its education style and its international character, and create contacts for the future for a wide spread cultural exchange.

May 31, 19.30 hrs

Early Music, works by George Frideric Handel, Henry Purcell and Johann Sebastian Bach

Central in the presentation of the early music department is the presence of two eminent masters in the field of performance practice of 17th and 18th century music, counter tenor Michael Chance and baroque violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch. Young students of the conservatory will perform along side with these masters a program in which we hear the most wonderful excerpts out of opera’s by outstanding composers as Handel and Purcell. In Bach’s f-minor harpsichord concerto we hear one of the promising young harpsichord virtuosos. In the shadow of this concert, Michael Chance and Elizabeth Wallfisch separately appear in master classes in which gifted Chinese students are offered a possibility to get acquainted with performing techniques of 17th and 18th century music.

June 1, 19.30 hrs

Early Music, works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Ignaz Biber, Francesco Maria Veracini, Francois Couperin and Pietro Antonio Locatelli

Elizabeth Walfisch (baroque violin) and Albert-Jan Roelofs (harpsichord), both closely connected to the Royal Conservatory, will play virtuous and highly evocative violin music from the 17th and 18th century. The selected composers represent the best of international music composition of the era. From a more national perspective, it may easily be forgotten that the composer Locatelli, though born in Italy, spent the greater part of his live in Amsterdam where he enjoyed an enormous fame and spread his music through the Dutch printers who where the centre of international publishing activity in the 18th century.

June 2, 19.30 hrs

Classical music, works by Richard Strauss, Franz Schubert, Ernŏ Dohnanyi and Johannes Brahms

The contribution of the classical department is guided by the well known cellist Harro Ruijsenaars and has the character of a workshop. During two successive days, Chinese students are challenged to work together with students from the Royal Conservatory in getting to know important pieces of the European chamber music repertoire of the 19th and early 20th century. The workshops aim to contribute to a mutual understanding of the musical texts and appreciation and should result in the performance of these pieces in public.

Cultural programme The Hague during the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai

Five important cultural organisations from The Hague will contribute to the Dutch cultural programme during the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. From May 31 until June 5 The Hague will organise seminars and conferences in the Dutch Pavilion ‘Happy Street’ at the World EXPO in Shanghai. 

Partners & Sponsors