The gala starts with a reception at 7.30 p.m., and will conclude with an eventful after-party lasting until midnight.

Annual Gala

Concertgebouw Orchestra celebrates Annual Gala with Mozart’s take on Handel

image: Jorrit Lousberg

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is holding a lavish Annual Gala for its loyal friends and associates. In a delightful mise en espace by Pierre Audi, a touching pastoral opera by Handel unfolds. Dress code black tie.

The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit.

Concert programme

  • George Frideric Handel

    Acis and Galatea (orchestration W.A. Mozart)

Performers

  • Leonardo García Alarcón

    conductor

  • Mark Milhofer

    tenor

  • Keri Fuge

    soprano

  • Sreten Manojlović

    bass

  • Valerio Contaldo

    tenor

  • Guy Cutting

    tenor

  • Nederlands Kamerkoor

    choir

  • Pierre Audi

    creative partner

  • Urs Schönebaum

    light and scenography

About this concert

With a grand Annual Gala the orchestra celebrates the opening of the concert season with its loyal friends and associates. The gala starts with a reception at 7.30 p.m., and will conclude with an eventful after-party lasting until midnight. Up until 2019 this event was known as Opening Night.

George Frideric Handel, who lived and worked in England, called Acis and Galatea his ‘little opera’. The Baroque master knew better than anyone how to bring to life the story of the nymph Galatea, the shepherd Acis and the jealous giant Polyphemus. The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit. Indeed, Acis and Galatea would go on to become Handel’s most popular work for the operatic stage – a high point in English pastoral opera.

Just over half a century later, the charming love tragedy still stood firm, with no one less than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart making an adaptation for Viennese audiences. With this very rarely heard Viennese version of Acis and Galatea, the nonconformist early music conductor Leonardo García Alarcón is making his Concertgebouworkest debut. The visionary director Pierre Audi, the orchestra’s creative partner, has conceived an exciting mise en espace.

Afterparty - After the concert, everyone is welcome to attend unexpected follow-up performances in the Recital Hall, the Mirror Hall, the Choir Hall and the Conductors Foyer. Until midnight you have the opportunity to meet each other, the conductor, the soloists, and the choir and orchestra members.

Read more

This programme is made possible with financial support from Ammodo.

Dates and tickets

About this concert

With a grand Annual Gala the orchestra celebrates the opening of the concert season with its loyal friends and associates. The gala starts with a reception at 7.30 p.m., and will conclude with an eventful after-party lasting until midnight. Up until 2019 this event was known as Opening Night.

George Frideric Handel, who lived and worked in England, called Acis and Galatea his ‘little opera’. The Baroque master knew better than anyone how to bring to life the story of the nymph Galatea, the shepherd Acis and the jealous giant Polyphemus. The moving arias were, and continue to be, an instant hit. Indeed, Acis and Galatea would go on to become Handel’s most popular work for the operatic stage – a high point in English pastoral opera.

Just over half a century later, the charming love tragedy still stood firm, with no one less than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart making an adaptation for Viennese audiences. With this very rarely heard Viennese version of Acis and Galatea, the nonconformist early music conductor Leonardo García Alarcón is making his Concertgebouworkest debut. The visionary director Pierre Audi, the orchestra’s creative partner, has conceived an exciting mise en espace.

Afterparty - After the concert, everyone is welcome to attend unexpected follow-up performances in the Recital Hall, the Mirror Hall, the Choir Hall and the Conductors Foyer. Until midnight you have the opportunity to meet each other, the conductor, the soloists, and the choir and orchestra members.

Read more

This programme is made possible with financial support from Ammodo.

A preview