Music Stages is a breeding ground for top talent and young creators. Through its professional development program Southeast, the Musical Gold Mine For musical talents in Amsterdam Zuidoost, Music Stages—in collaboration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, ZOGrace Creative Agency, and Bijlmer Parktheater—offers a stage to young instrumentalists, singers, and composers ages 12 to 24. This gives them the opportunity to perform for renowned musicians, vocalists, and composers—as well as, of course, for their friends and family. The most talented participants are selected for a special coaching program: for one year, they will be mentored by professionals from the music industry as they take the next step in their musical development. They will be introduced to the various facets of the professional music world.

The first group of Southeast, the Musical Gold Mine consists of Joni, Shakur, Rolenzo, and Kaylee. They auditioned in June 2021 and have been working hard ever since with professionals to prepare themselves for a professional music career or further education. Last November, for example, they performed in the Bijlmer Klassiek concert “It’s All About Gospel,” together with the ZO! Gospel Choir, Shirma Rouse, Berima Amo, and string players from the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Many composers have drawn inspiration from the moon. In addition to the famous Moonlight Sonata In addition to Beethoven, the program also features the magnificent “Songs of Madagascar” by the famous French composer Maurice Ravel. Dramaturg Carel Alphenaar has selected the beautiful Dutch poems, which are recited by actor Abdelkarim el Baz.

With the Bijlmer Klassiek series, Michael Gieler brings world-class chamber music to Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perform in an intimate setting and connect with artists who have their roots in the Bijlmer. In the auditorium of the Bijlmer Parktheater, great names like Beethoven and Schubert go hand in hand with upbeat songs from around the world. Bijlmer Klassiek is a joint project of Music Stages and the Bijlmer Parktheater.

Bijlmer Klassiek is back at CEC Meets with a wonderful concert featuring string quartets by Borodin and Haydn and a new work by Berima Amo.

The musicians of the Schoch Quartet came together during difficult times. While the cultural world was still confined to their homes, the four musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra decided to start making music again. They found inspiration and solace in the most beautiful music there is: the classical string quartet. The program features one of Haydn’s last string quartets and Alexander Borodin’s Second String Quartet, with its famous slow movement in which the violin and cello tell a true love story. During this concert, the brand-new work Son of Love by the Ghanaian-Dutch composer and Southeast resident Berima Amo will have its world premiere. While writing the piece, he was inspired by the sound of the kora, an instrument played by various tribes in northern Ghana. Two young talents from Southeast Amsterdam—a true musical goldmine—will also be making an appearance. Destin Rusland is an up-and-coming pianist who blends hip-hop with classical music. Joni Frans is a vocalist with a distinctive voice that she combines with neo-soul, pop, and R&B. In short: a quartet concert featuring

Come enjoy this evening edition of Bijlmer Klassiek at CEC Meets.

Today, the IJ-salon takes the audience on a journey through the night. The moon sets the rhythm on Earth. It guides travelers in the dark and is the ally of all lovers. But the moon is also part of our nightmares. Music for the moon spanning three centuries, featuring visuals by video artist EVman and the Dutch debut of the talented young Australian singer Lotte Betts-Dean.

Michael Gieler, artistic director of Music Stages: ‘It’s no coincidence that the moon is the ultimate source of inspiration for poets, artists, and composers. It seems as though we can project all our emotions onto her. Whether you’re in love, happy, sad, or anxious—the moon always has a face to match. It’s high time we dedicated an entire IJ-Salon to our pale companion.’