An Amsterdam Canal as Concert Hall

The Prinsengracht Concert has for years brought outstanding classical music to a wide audience.

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This year was a special edition, marking the 400th anniversary of the Amsterdam canals and spotlighting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra which is celebrating its 125th year of musical excellence.

Well before the concert got under way, the waterside quays and canals rapidly filled up with visitors. Despite the rain at the start of the supporting act, the audience stood their ground and was amply rewarded. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the tenor Joseph Calleja came up trumps with a magnificent concert full of musical treats.

This year the Prinsengracht Concert drew a crowd of about 7000 music lovers, as well as a record-breaking number of TV viewers. The concert will ultimately be shown on TV in no less than 22 countries.

Playing on the water

Heading the world-acclaimed Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on 24 August was the conductor Antonio Pappano, currently music director of the Royal Opera House in London and l’Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Secilia in Rome. He last conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2007. The tenor Joseph Calleja from Malta made his debut performance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the Prinsengracht Concert. He was accompanied by no fewer than 90 musicians showcasing their talents on the floating stage on the canal. The largest number ever! The orchestra gave stirring renditions of masterpieces by the likes of Verdi, Puccini and Tchaikovsky.

ING has for years been the main sponsor of both the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Prinsengracht Concert, and is delighted to see these two wonderful organisations working together for this concert. A truly unique event.

Viewing and listening to the Prinsengracht Concert

The concert can be viewed again online at: View the Prinsengracht Concert.