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18 June Day of the Composer

Composers are rarely put in the spotlight. High time to put the living Dutch composer on the shield, during the Day of the Composer. On Saturday 18 June, there will be activities throughout the Netherlands, with the main focus in Utrecht, including an evening program co-curated by us in TivoliVredenburg. Check below for a complete overview of what to do in Utrecht.

Largest Graphic Score of All Times
10:00 Hoog Catharijne, Utrecht – free

At Utrecht Central Station, dozens of composers unveil the Greatest Graphic Score of All Times with the Composer Laureate Martin Fondse. A colorful procession of children, musicians and passers-by plays the music and rolls out the immensely long score via Hoog Catharijne to TivoliVredenburg.

The unveiling starts at 10:00 am at the City Office next to Utrecht Central Station. The procession then goes via the gallery behind the Central Station, via Hoog Catharijne to the Grande finale at 11 am on the Vredenburgerkade. Free for everyone! Do not miss it!


Louis Andriessen carillon concert by Malgosia Fiebig and unveiling facade sign
11:00 Domplein / Pandhof, Utrecht

The Andriessen family of composers – Louis, his brother Jurriaan and their father Hendrik – lived in Utrecht for many years. At 11:00 you can enjoy a carillon concert by Malgosia Fiebig at the foot of the Dom Tower, with works by Louis, Jurriaan and Hendrik. Music from the Andriessens sounds over the rooftops. Tip: go to the Pandhof from 10.45 for a quieter listening spot.

After the concert, we walk from the Pandhof to Herenstraat 5. At noon, the Utrecht Alderman for Culture unveils a sign on the facade of Herenstraat 5, where the Andriessen family used to live. Also present are carillonneur Malgosia Fiebig, former carillonneur Arie Abbenes and descendants of the Andriessen family. The ceremony ends around 12:30 PM.


Evening program
20:00 TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht – Buy tickets

Countless Utrecht music organizations and groups contribute to the evening programme of the Day of the Composer. Brand new winners of the Dutch Violin Competition play music by living Dutch composers and new work by young composers from the music network Rizoom. Frisse Oren plays pieces from their youth performance STREK (3+) with music by Oene van Geel. The Postland, Insomnio and T R O M P O ensembles perform work that they have developed in close collaboration with various composers. Makers collective BUI shows that composing is also something that can happen spontaneously and on the spot, and Gemma Luz Bosch shows that there is sound in clay.

In cooperation with Nieuw Genootschap Nederlandse Componisten, NPO Radio 4, TivoliVredenburg, Dutch Violin Competition, Frisse Oren, GIST, Postland, Insomnio, Rizoom