The New European Ensemble presents a musical tribute to 750 years of city rights in Schiedam. More information to follow.
VLAD MAISTOROVICI conductor, violin
Vlad Maistorovici Metamorphosis after M. C. Escher
Michel van der Aa Shades of Red
Dan Dediu Hyperkardia II Op. 139
Mark-Anthony Turnage Romanian Rhapsody
George Enescu Chamber Symphony for 12 Solo Instruments Op. 33
A unique concert performance with readings from the novels Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter by Ali Smith, one of the greatest authors from Scotland of our time. Each year, Smith wrote a new novel, highlighting contemporary themes such as ecology, migration, Brexit, and more. NEuE has commissioned four female composers to create new ensemble works inspired by the novels. This unique mix of music and literature is presented in collaboration with the National Theatre, where under the direction of Eric de Vroedt a matching stage performance will premiere.
Programme
Kate Moore – Fall Falling
Anna Thorvaldsdottir – Spectra
Alice Yeung – Winter
Peter Maxwell Davies – A Sad Paven for These Distracted Tymes
Seung Won Oh – In Spring: Echoes of a Silent Cry
Kinan Azmeh – Essays on Solitude
Sara Zamboni – Hymn to timeless melancholy, Hymn to an English Summer
Three composers challenge you on a musical journey through their time, filled with tension and hope. Discover how music transcends borders and tells stories that bring freedom to composers and musicians. But is that freedom truly without limits, or are there always invisible walls?
The New European Ensemble feels this theme deeply. Three of our musicians come from countries with a turbulent past: Belarus, Estonia, and Bulgaria. What does it mean for them to play this music, with their own history in their hearts?
Program:
Galina Oestvolskaja Symfonie nr.5 ‘Amen’
Arvo Pärt Stabat Mater
Svitlana Azarova Hyperion*
Arvo Pärt Fratres
*worldpremiere
A modern take on the classical love tragedy Phaedra. In this new adaptation by Nino Haratischwili (known for The Eighth Life), she explores how a woman can fight for her own freedom in a male-dominated world. The role of Phaedra is played by Tamar van den Dop, with Yela de Koning as her lover Persea, accompanied by live music from the New European Ensemble.
Text: Nino Haratischwili
Direction: Ola Mafaalani
Cast
Tamar van den Dop, Yela de Koning, Gustav Borreman, Yamill Jones, Rick Paul van Mulligen, Sander Plukaard
New European Ensemble
Viola: Emlyn Stam, Santiago Velo
Cello: Matthijs Broersma, Willem Stam
Harp: Astrid Haring, Ernestine Stoop
Violin: Rada Ovcharova, Jellantsje de Vries
Translation: Maaike van Rijn
Adaptation: Ko van den Bosch
Music: Krists Auznieks
Set Design: Jeffrey Kranen & Ola Mafaalani
Costume Design: Regine Standfuss
Lighting Design: Marc Heinz
Hair & Make-up: Design Bärbel Scheid
Dramaturgy: Remco van Rijn
Assistant Director: Goosje Leeuwenstein
The symphonies of Ustvolskaya paint a terrifying portrait of her tormented life. Her works are essentially prayers, yet devoid of devotion or restraint. They cry out, roar, and hammer at God—though there is little sign He’s listening. Shostakovich’s songs, on the other hand, reflect his anguished existence as an artist, overshadowed by uncertainty and threats. His music, too, carries the awareness that he was often composing for deaf ears.
This is guaranteed to be a powerful concert—minimal in notes, maximal in impact—with a spotlight on one of the most original and uncompromising composers of the 20th century.
The New European Ensemble once again takes a bold step in its ongoing mission to unearth monumental music that has long been buried.
Program:
Galina Ustvolskaya, Symphonies 4 & 5
Galina Ustvolskaya, Dona nobis Pacem
Dmitri Shostakovich, Songs
Photo: Joost van den Broek
Meriç Artaç is composing a brand-new Bosch Requiem commissioned by November Music for NEuE and Capella Amsterdam. It will premiere on November 7 at Theater aan de Parade, Den Bosch, and during Opera Forward 2026.
With his iconic composition “4’33”,” John Cage invited listeners in 1952 to attentively listen to their surroundings and the subtle sounds of their own heartbeat and breathing. Since then, new music has consistently challenged us to listen to the world anew. Swiss composer Jürg Frey creates works that explore the boundaries of the audible. His compositions utilize sparse sound materials and silences, making silence the subject of the music. The result is an invitation to reflection and a renewed experience of sound.
Program
John Cage – Seven
John Cage – In a Landscape
John Cage – 4’33
Jürg Frey – world premiere (commissioned by NEuE)
Watch the ensemble working with Jürg Frey:
What does hope sound like when you’ve fled your country, when pain and sorrow live in your heart? What does music sound like when it expresses those feelings? Is it a scream, a lament, or an intimate murmur?
Step into the world of composers and musicians who left everything behind to start anew elsewhere.
This evening is all about music that resonates with the soul of migration. Not as a story of victimhood, but as a powerful testament to resilience, courage, and creativity.
The New European Ensemble – made up of musicians from diverse backgrounds – performs works by Hawar Tawfiq, Kinan Azmeh, and Kinan Abu Afach, composers who (un)willingly left their homelands behind.
No frills, no clichés – just honest music that moves you, inspires you, and might even challenge the way you see the world.
Are you ready to take this musical journey?
Dare to listen. Dare to discover.
New European Ensemble.