February 2026
The month of February is full of musical highlights! We have selected special concerts that showcase the best in different genres.
Agenda
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Rabe
Aynur + North Netherlands Symphony OrchestraSoulful voice surrounded by musical grandeur
Thu 5 Feb 2026In Aynur’s work, every song tells a story, with the celebrated singer drawing from her Kurdish background. Her songs are also moving sound poems, with which she evokes a world of emotions. Together with her own band and the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Aynur presents an anthology of her oeuvre, which ranges from intimate to danceable and in which strings feature prominently.
Aynur has proven to be a sensation in the Netherlands as well, with her past performances at the Muziekgebouw selling out rapidly. Her international status is solidified by the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who has worked with her and describes her voice as ‘deeply soulful, heart-rending, and unforgettable’. On her most recent album, Rabe, she also blends Kurdish poetry with pop, jazz and classical music.
Program
Music from the album Rabe
Credits
Noord Nederlands Orkest
Aynur voice
Wolf Kershek conductor
Franz Von Chossy piano
Patrick Goraguer percussion
Caner Malkoc klarinet
Chris Jennings bass, double bass
TBD tembur, cura -
Etudes then and now
Antonii BaryshevskyiVirtuoso, captivating, subdued and poignant concert piecesDebussy, Ligeti, Kerkelov, Liszt, Chopin, Shalygin
Sat 7 Feb 2026Although originally intended as mere technical exercises, Antonii Baryshevskyi shows the breathtaking beauty of etudes. Chopin, Liszt and Debussy reimagined etudes as virtuoso concert pieces, and Baryshevskyi combines them with contemporary pieces by Svyatoslav Lunyov and Maxim Shalygin. And then it becomes clear that an etude is more than just a technical exercise; it can also be subdued and vulnerable.
The raw simplicity of Shalygin’s Fetus Etudes, at times poignant and painful, goes straight to the heart. Sharing their Ukrainian heritage and a passion for music, Shalygin and Baryshevskyi bring out the best in each other. Since fleeing his homeland, Baryshevskyi has become an ambassador for Ukrainian music on the world stage.
'Baryshevskyi has something special' (Martha Argerich)
'Unequivocally impressive' (Gramophone Magazine)Program
Claude Debussy Etude No. 1 ‘Pour les cinq doigts (d'après Monsieur Czerny)’ / Etude No. 11 ‘Pour les arpèges composés’
György Ligeti Arc-en-ciel / Étude Fem
Peter Kerkelov Evening from Anthems of day and night
Svyatoslav Lunyov Adieu from Etudes
Franz Liszt Etude de Concert No. 1 ‘Waldesrauschen’ / Chasse-neige from Études d'exécution transcendante
Frédéric Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 3 in E / Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor
Maxim Shalygin Fetus Etudes (Angel, Au vent sur la pointe des pieds, TO ALL ALIVE, TO ALL IN LOVE, TO ALL RESURRECTED)Credits
Antonii Baryshevskyi piano
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Orlando, a melancholic portrait
La Tempête + lecture by Saskia TörnqvistThe adventurous versatility of Orlando di LassoOrlando di Lasso
Wed 18 Feb 2026The French ensemble La Tempête, debuts at the Muziekgebouw with a concert dedicated to one composer: Orlando di Lasso. The versatility of this 16th-century composer and the many adventures he experienced inspired artistic director Simon-Pierre Bestion to a remarkable sound monograph. Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando also plays an important role in it. With effortless ease, the ensemble combines electric guitars with centuries-old cornets, imparting the music with maximum richness.
La Tempête isn’t keen on conventions. Artistic director Simon-Pierre Bestion readily incorporates modern instruments like the saxophone and electric guitar into his arrangements of Renaissance works. Staging and design are the finishing touches. While everything is new, it all serves the music, restoring its old glory.
La Société Générale is the principal sponsor of La Tempête.
It also receives the support of the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture, the Centre National de la Musique (CNM), the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Corrèze county, the city of Brive-la-Gaillarde as well as the Adami and the Spedidam.7 p.m. / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken) by Saskia Törnqvist
The many faces of Orlando di Lasso
The Fleming Orlando di Lasso held positions in Mantua, Milan, and Rome, travelled through France and England, and eventually settled in Bavaria amidst the vibrant court life of Albrecht V. “I do not want to leave my house, my garden, and the other good things in Munich,” wrote Di Lasso, but this outward contentment belied an inner battle with ‘melancholia hypochondriaca’. This lecture explores, using musical examples, the composer’s contrasting sides: from deeply religious to scabrous, always returning to melancholy, the state of mind cultivated at many European courts.Program
19.00 / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken)
The many faces of Orlando di Lasso by Saskia Törnqvist20.15 / Main programme
Orlando di Lasso Orlando, A Melancholic PortraitCredits
La Tempête
Simon-Pierre Bestion arrangements, keyboards and musical direction -
Voci Bianche
PRJCT Amsterdam, Maarten Engeltjes, Valer Sabadus + Daan EschThe triumph and tragedy of the castratiHändel, Porpora, Mozart, Lotti, Broschi, Hasse
Fri 20 Feb 2026Countertenor Maarten Engeltjes and his baroque ensemble PRJCT Amsterdam delve into the world of the castrati. The Flemish author and podcaster Daan Esch tells the story of castrati such as Farinello and Senesino. Valer Sabadus, today’s countertenor sensation, joins Engeltjes to perform both timeless classics and lesser known pieces. A semi-staged performance about the triumph and tragedy of the castrati.
For nearly three centuries, the opera stage was dominated by castrati. This high male voice, a result of castration, was especially prevalent in southern European countries. This was largely due to the fact that women were forbidden to perform in public by Catholic powers during the early Baroque period. The practice of castration led to great dramas and equally great triumphs. And to masterful arias such as Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga from Rinaldo.
Program
Arias from:
Georg Friedrich Händel Rinaldo / Giulio Cesare / Tolomeo / Dixit Dominus
Nicola Porpora Polifemo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Lucio Silla
Antonio Lotti Teofane
Riccardo Broschi Idaspe
Johann Adolf Hasse ArtaserseCredits
PRJCT Amsterdam
Maarten Engeltjes countertenor
Valer Sabadus countertenor
Daan Esch reciter -
Kurtág's Kafka-Fragmente
Isabelle Faust + Anna ProhaskaExtraordinary variety and emotional depthKurtág
Fri 27 Feb 2026‘An hour-long work of extraordinary variety and emotional depth.’ This is how The Guardian described György Kurtág’s Kafka-Fragmente after the release of the acclaimed recording by soprano Anna Prohaska and violinist Isabelle Faust. This live performance of the cycle by these two leading musicians is an unparalleled journey, filled with breathtaking moments. Seldom does one witness such vulnerability on stage.
In 1986, Kurtág completed his longest composition yet, Kafka-Fragmente. Inspired by the ideas of psychologist Marianne Stein, he spent a year setting short and long fragments from Franz Kafka’s diaries to music, in his own unique way. With just one voice and one violin, he conjures a complete world of acrobatic virtuosity, theatrical flair, and music that resonates long after the performance.
Program
György Kurtág Kafka-Fragmente
Credits
Isabelle Faust violin
Anna Prohaska soprano -
A Family Affair
Sheku Kanneh-Mason + Isata Kanneh–MasonTwo talented family members play romantic musicMendelssohn, Boulanger, Schumann, Clarke
Sat 28 Feb 20262018 was the year of cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Two billion people watched him perform at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle; it was his breakthrough. That year he also made his debut at the Cello Biennale Amsterdam, together with his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. They have played together since childhood and give recitals worldwide. ‘Immensely engaging players: a star duo is born’, wrote The Independent.
Felix Mendelssohn also had a brother who played the cello. He dedicated the many works he composed for cello and piano to him, including his first sonata. As a woman composing in the early 20th century, Rebecca Clarke faced considerable prejudice. While her cello sonata is the composer’s own arrangement, it is best known as a sonata for viola. Nadia Boulanger was long recognized mainly as the music teacher of Bernstein, Milhaud, Piazzolla and Glass, but her own compositions are now gaining increasing recognition.
Program
Felix Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat
Nadia Boulanger Trois pièces pour violoncelle et piano
Robert Schumann 5 Stücke im Volkston
Rebecca Clarke Cello SonataCredits
Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello
Isata Kanneh-Mason piano
