Cello Biënnale Amsterdam 2026

Between Thursday, October 29th and Saturday, November 7th, the Muziekgebouw and Bimhuis will be home to the biggest cello festival in the world: the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam. With more than 85 concerts, family shows, masterclasses, the National Cello Competition, and an extensive side programme, the Cello Biënnale is the ultimate meeting place for music enthusiasts and cellists alike. 

Shifting Borders
The theme of the 11th edition of the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam is Shifting Borders. Music has no borders. Where countries co-exist tensely, music from those very same regions will go together exceptionally well. Music is able to stretch those boundaries, shift them, and can even bring together people from different cultures. But Shifting Borders is also about stretching artistic borders. Investigative, creative cellists who experiment and can’t be labelled. Genres, combinations, and styles that merge together, surpassing all borders. 

Everything by Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven composed five sonatas and various variations for cello and piano. Together, these compositions create a stunning panorama of Beethoven’s development as a composer, as well as forming an essential part of the core cello repertoire. All cello sonatas and variations will be performed during the Cello Biënnale 2026.