An orchestrated surprise for ING
20 December 2016
The world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam (RCO) held a pop up concert for ING Netherlands employees, to thank them for over 25 years of partnership.
What better way to spend your lunch than listening to some Vivaldi, performed live by musicians from one of the world’s best orchestras?
Thanking ING for their loyal partnership since 1989, the Dutch Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra recently organised a ‘pop up style’ concert in the Garden Café restaurant of Acanthus, the Head Office of ING Netherlands.
With colleagues eating their lunch or going about their daily business in the café, four musicians sat scattered amongst them. Out of the blue, a violin was heard playing Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Three other violinists joined in one by one, until they formed an ensemble together with three musicians playing the cello, double bass and theorbo. All seven of them continued for another ten minutes, captivating the audience with their harmonious display of musical skill.
But such an impromptu concert is not done on the spur of the moment. It took months to plan in secret with music, instruments and musicians carefully selected. Hidden cameras were installed all over the restaurant and microphones and speakers were planted. The instruments were even snuck into the building through hidden passages.
The RCO, founded in 1888, has drawn acclaim from international critics as one of the world's greatest orchestras. The orchestra consist of 120 members from over 25 nationalities and performs about 130 concerts globally every season.