Just as last year, tickets for the UvA Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck’s concert at the Concertgebouw are being offered at an affordable price. The proceeds from ticket sales will go towards a special purpose: the anniversary year in 2028, when Sweelinck will celebrate its 150th anniversary. During that year, the orchestra hopes to go on tour, perform major symphonic works, and play at special venues, possibly in collaboration with a ballet company or a large choir. In this way, ticket sales will make a direct contribution to this jubilee year.

Would you like to be there? Make sure you get your ticket in time. The registration deadline is 24 May 2026. Staff and students can order tickets online here.External link

About the programme

• Ish-Hurwitz – Fragmenten (world première)
• Stravinsky – Divertimento ‘Le baiser de la fée’
• Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5

From orchestra member to composer: Primo Ish-Hurwitz
With the world première of Fragmenten, the concert opens with a new orchestral work by Primo Ish-Hurwitz. Previously a cellist in the UvA Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck, the composer now returns with his own music on the stands. Originally composed for a workshop in collaboration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Fragmenten explores the interplay between different musical styles and sound worlds. The work is characterised by sharp contrasts, rhythmic energy and transparent orchestration.

Stravinsky - Divertimento ‘Le baiser de la fée’

Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Le Baiser de la Fée’ is a neoclassical ballet from 1928 considered a tribute to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this work, Stravinsky intertwines Tchaikovsky’s melodic ideas with his own clear harmonies and instrumentation.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony brings the programme to a close and is among the best-known symphonies in the late-Romantic repertoire. In this work from 1888, Tchaikovsky combines a recurring fate motif with lyrical melodies and rich orchestral colour. The symphony moves from restrained tension to a grand and powerful finale, creating an impressive counterpoint to the contemporary world première that opens the concert.

More about the orchestra

The UvA Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck, made up of more than seventy enthusiastic and passionate students, has been under the direction of conductor Jurjen Hempel since September 2024. Hempel is a highly experienced conductor with a deep passion for music and collaboration. In recent years, he has regularly conducted major Dutch orchestras and has also built an international reputation. Following his prize-winning participation in the Sibelius Conducting Competition in Finland, he has worked with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Joensuu City Symphony Orchestra, among others.