Grammy and Brit Award-winning artist Joss Stone comes to Amare with her Merry Christmas, Love Tour. For this special show, the British soul singer brings together her signature mix of soul, R&B and pop with Christmas music. In The Hague, the concert features a special collaboration as Stone shares the stage with the Codarts Pop Orchestra.
Joss Stone rose to international fame at the age of sixteen with her critically acclaimed 2003 debut album The Soul Sessions. Since then, she has become one of the best-known British soul artists of her generation, selling more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Throughout her career, Stone has performed and collaborated with legendary artists including James Brown, Burt Bacharach, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Sting, Van Morrison, Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger and Damian Marley. Her music has generated more than one billion streams in the US alone.
In 2023, Stone embarked on her 20 Years of Soul tour, celebrating twenty years since her breakthrough. During the tour, she recorded her first live album, 20 Years of Soul – Live in Concert, and performed a sold-out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. This was followed by the Ellipsis Tour and her stripped-back Less Is More Tour across North and South America.
With the Merry Christmas, Love Tour, Stone adds a new chapter to her career. Expect her unmistakable soul voice, songs from across her repertoire and Christmas music, including her rendition of the classic Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
Joss Stone – Merry Christmas, Love Tour Sunday 29 November – 20:00 Amare
Once a month, Theater DE VESTE in Delft hosts a classical music concert on Sunday morning at 11.30. Music transcends languages, and therefore these concerts are accessible for internationals. Each concert costs €23,50 with discounted tickets available for €15 for students and youth and €21,50 for people with a Prometheus or Delft/ Rotterdam pass. Each ticket includes a free cup of coffee or tea.
After each of the concerts there is a follow up interview with the performers, however this interview is held in Dutch. During the interview guests can purchase a cheese platter and alcoholic or non-alcoholic cava.
Ragazze Quartet – 18 October 2026
The first concert of the theatrical season was last Sunday with the Ragazze Quartet. This string quartet developed into one of the most fresh and leading voices in classical music with their groundbreaking programmes that often handle socially relevant themes. In this concert they had an intimate conversation between the past and present. The programme started off with Scandinavian folk songs, followed by Jean Sibelius’ Voces Intimae and lastly Antonín Dvořák’s From the New World (Z Nového světa).
Laureaat Concours Cello Biënnale – 15 November 2026
The next concert will host the winner of Cello Biënnale festival, held in Amsterdam on the 29th of October till the 7th of November. This festival has grown since its first edition in 2006 into an internationally leading cello festival. Ever since the beginning theater DE VESTE has offered the winner a stage, and the opportunity to start off a brilliant career. The programme of the concert will be revealed after the winner is announced.
Daniel Rowland, Maja Bogdanovic and Anna Fedorova – 20 December 2026
Three international top musicians will join forces on the 20th of December. British/ Dutch violinist Daniel Rowland, Serbian/French cellist Maja Bogdanovic and Ukrainian/ Dutch pianist Anna Fedorova have each performed in well known venues all over the world such as Royal Concert Hall in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris and Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo. Now together in theater DE VESTE the trio will perform a varied programme including works of Beethoven, Žebeljan, Dvořák and Tchaikovsky.
Berlage Saxophone Quartet & Noa Wildschut – 24 January 2027
The Sunday morning concert on the 24th of January will be the premiere of the Berlage Saxophone Quartet & violinist Noa Wildschut’s ‘De Mens in de Massa’ (the person in the crowd). In this captivating programme the musicians will explore the balance between personal development and blending into the crowd. The tension of which becomes audible in various musical forms, with arrangements by Max Knigge and Peter Vigh. In Maurice Ravel’s ‘Tzigane’ and ‘Blues’ and Darius Milhaud’s ‘Le Boeuf sur le Toit’, the soloist and the quartet merge into a powerful symbol of togetherness, while at other times they stand in stark contrast to each other, as in Arvo Pärt’s ‘Fratres’.
Lidy Blijdorp and Tobias Borsboom – 28 February 2027
Cellist Lidy Blijdorp and pianist Tobias Borsboom form a close-knit duo known for their intense, expressive performances and remarkable musical connection. On the 28th of February, they will bring a varied programme to the stage, combining the vibrant Spanish influences of Manuel de Falla’s ‘Suite Populaire Espagnole’ and Alberto Ginastera’s ‘Pampeana No. 2’ with the rich romanticism of César Franck’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. Together, these works promise a concert full of passion, colour and lyrical beauty.
Nathalia Milstein, Sarah Jégou-Sageman, Paul Zientara, Ella van Poucke – 28 March 2027
Pianist Nathalia Milstein will be joined by three outstanding musicians: cellist Ella van Poucke and French violinists Sarah Jégou-Sageman and Paul Zientara, on the 28th of March. Together, they will explore the richness of chamber music through works by Schubert, Mendelssohn and Dvořák. From Schubert’s youthful String Trio to the lively melodies and Czech folk influences of Dvořák’s Second Piano Quartet, the programme offers a journey through the expressive world of nineteenth-century classical music.
Combattimento Consort – 18 April 2027
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Antonio Vivaldi’s iconic ‘Le Quattro Stagioni’ (The Four Seasons), the ensemble Combattimento will bring these masterpieces back to life on the 18th of April. Alongside Vivaldi’s famous violin concertos, the musicians will present a reconstruction of an alternative set of Four Seasons by his contemporary Francesco Durante, as well as works featuring the oboe by Vivaldi and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Known for their energetic and passionate performances of Baroque music, Combattimento promises a fresh perspective on these timeless works.
Have you ever dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights? On 23 and 24 October 2026, Museon-Omniversum in The Hague brings the magic of the Canadian aurora to its dome theatre, accompanied by a live piano performance by Canadian pianist and composer Roman Zavada.
Résonances Boréales is an immersive audiovisual experience combining live music with spectacular 360-degree projections of the Northern Lights. With only four performances scheduled, visitors have a limited opportunity to experience this unusual combination of music and nature.
A Musical Journey to Northern Canada
For this project, Roman Zavada travelled to Prelude Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories, where he placed his piano outdoors at the edge of the northern forest.
Inspired by the landscape and the Northern Lights, he spent approximately twenty hours improvising music in the natural surroundings. These sessions eventually became nine compositions reflecting the atmosphere of the Canadian wilderness.
During Résonances Boréales, Zavada performs his compositions live on piano while breathtaking footage of the Canadian aurora fills the dome theatre.
The imagery, created by Bruno Colpron and Dominic St-Amant, transports audiences to the far north without leaving The Hague.
Music and Nature Combined
Roman Zavada is a pianist and composer with Québécois and Ukrainian roots. His work draws inspiration from nature, improvisation and the relationship between music and moving images.
He is also known for his Ciné-Piano performances, in which he accompanies classic silent films with live piano improvisations.
Résonances Boréales offers an experience that can be appreciated regardless of language, making it particularly appealing to The Hague’s international community.
Practical Information
Dates: Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026
Location: Museon-Omniversum Dome Theatre, President Kennedylaan 5, The Hague
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
Tickets: €29.50
Performances: Four performances across the two days. Check the official website for individual starting times and availability.
Synchromie Muziek presents there is no place for me on this map, a piano recital by Dutch composer and pianist Dante Boon at SoundHouse Den Haag.
In his first collaboration with Synchromie, Boon brings together six works written in the last decade, including four world premieres, alongside music by Elisabeth Lutyens from 1962.
The programme moves between musical systems and personal experience: algorithmic composition, serialism, remembrance, friendship and departure. A tribute to composer Clarence Barlow and music marking a friend’s departure from the Netherlands sit alongside a nocturne written for pianist Beth Levin. “SoundHouse is meant to be a place where adventurous music can feel personal and immediate.” says Synchromie Muziek director Elizabeth Huston. “Dante’s programme is exactly the kind of work we want to make space for: music that takes risks, but is also rooted in friendship, memory, and real human experience.”
Presented in SoundHouse’s intimate setting, the evening offers listeners a chance to encounter new piano repertoire at its first public hearing.
From the solid guitar rock of The Velcro at the Proeflokaal to nocturnal poetry at The Grey Space: for the fourth year in a row, The Hague city centre was filled with music on Monday evening during PrinsjesNach, transcending styles, categories, and generations. With 40 acts at 31 locations, thousands of visitors, and a vibrant atmosphere, it was confirmed that the festival has earned its place as a tradition in the run-up to Prinsjesdag.
On Monday evening, September 14, The Hague city center once again transformed into a free musical pub crawl. From the Noordeinde to the Bierkade, from the Grote Markt to the Hofkwartier, music and spoken word could be heard. From indie pop and jazz to classical, world music, and spoken word. The organizers look back with satisfaction on the annual event.
The evening began with the festive opening at Bar Bistro De Twee Heeren, in the presence of Alderman for Culture Lotte van Basten Batenburg. In keeping with what has now become tradition, she accepted the PrinsjesNach briefcase. “It is fantastic that PrinsjesNach grows every year and allows more people to enjoy The Hague’s rich and diverse music scene,” said the newly appointed alderman. “PrinsjesNach adds color to the city and shows how music can connect. We must all cherish that.”
Among the many performances, NANO, TripKip, drum & brass band The Legendairs, Roos van Herrenwegen, French Kiss, and Yaël Campbell were particularly well-received. The audience in the Oude Molstraat listened breathlessly to an opera singer from the café window, while at the end of the evening, the crowd sang along loudly with Tante Koor in the bicycle parking area on the Papestraat. PrinsjesNach 2026 was concluded in a surprising manner with the NachMis by Scott Beekhuizen, Laurin Nargy, and the Henk & Melle Band.
“Really great fun! The atmosphere on the street, the artists. It was busy everywhere!!” said one of the visitors.
Initiators Sarah de Bruijn, Michael Varekamp, and Lucy Zuiderwijk are already looking forward to the third Monday of September 2027, when PrinsjesNach will take place for the fifth time. Many thanks also go to all the artists, venues, and volunteers who made the evening possible once again.
PrinsjesNach 2026 was made possible in part by the City of The Hague, Sena Performers, hetCultuurfonds, CultuurSchakel, Powered by PAARD/Popradar, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, BIZ Paleis Noordeinde and BIZ Hofkwartier.
In October, Dennis Russell Davies, Jun Märkl and Antony Hermus conduct the Residentie Orkest in masterpieces by Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss, Tsoupaki, Mahler and Dvořák. The soloists performing at Amare are pianist Maki Namekawa, violinist and artist in residence Stefan Jackiw, and mezzo-soprano Barbara Kozelj. At the Nieuwe Kerk, musicians from the Residentie Orkest perform works by Haydn, Martin and Dvořák as part of the Close Up series.
Fri 2 Oct, 8.15pm, Amare: RACHMANINOV & GLASS
Under the baton of master conductor Dennis Russell Davies – who has been conducting with passion and finesse for decades and is also the partner of tonight’s pianist – the Residentie Orkest presents compositions in which past and present intertwine. Pianist Maki Namekawa, Philip Glass’s close musical collaborator, is the soloist in the Dutch premiere of Glass’s Mishima Concerto for piano and orchestra, a cinematic and hypnotic journey. The piece grew out of Glass’s soundtrack for the acclaimed film Mishima and is imbued with contemplation, freedom and inner strength. Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, by contrast, embraces memory and longing, with lush strings and playful jazzy accents. Rachmaninoff wrote the symphony after emigrating to the United States, and you can hear the balance between nostalgia for his homeland and an open, energetic outlook towards the future. An evening full of contrast, energy and emotional richness.
The stage is bursting with energy today. Stefan Jackiw, violinist and artist in residence for the 2026/27 season, takes on Tchaikovsky’s exuberant Violin Concerto. A lyrical, demanding and irresistibly expressive work. Tchaikovsky’s only violin concerto calls for total commitment: dancing melodies, dazzling technique and an emotional directness that is in safe hands with Jackiw. Afterwards, chief conductor Jun Märkl continues his great journey through the German Romantic repertoire this season, this time with Richard Strauss’s monumental Ein Heldenleben. An orchestra of more than one hundred musicians, rich colours and an outpouring of energy in every bar: unforgettable. In this work, Strauss openly weaves quotations from his own earlier compositions into the score, as if the hero were looking back on his musical life. The impressive violin solos by concertmaster Wouter Vossen give the heroic figure an inner voice. The result is an overwhelming listening experience in which virtuosity, orchestral grandeur and personal stories converge.
Calliope Tsoupaki – former Composer Laureate of the Netherlands and a close associate of the Residentie Orkest – explores in Falling how we seek to find meaning again in a world that has become unsteady. In Tsoupaki’s Thin Air, we return to a work born of compassion and solidarity. Originally written during the pandemic (and premiered in this orchestral version by the Residentie Orkest), it is so timeless that it may perhaps resonate even more powerfully now than it did then. Mahler turns the emotion inward with one of his best-known song cycles: the Rückert Lieder. Five miniature mirrors in which longing, tranquility, self-examination and melancholy are laid bare without drama. Barbara Kozelj makes the songs almost tangible with her warm, rich mezzo-soprano voice. Dvořák’s fascinating Symphony No. 5 brings the evening to a close not with spectacle, but with sunlight: warm-blooded, playful and dancing. A symphony that smells of grass, earth, sunshine and evening air. This is Dvořák at his most open, most free and most blissful. Conductor Antony Hermus weaves a wonderful, breathing programme between Tsoupaki’s air and Dvořák’s earth.
Saturday’s concert is part of the now much-loved RO NOW series. Before the concert, presenter Sander Zwiep, known from NPO Klassiek, and the orchestra will offer a few short, illuminating examples to open your ears to what is about to come. After the concert, the music continues in the foyer and drinks will be waiting, with the first round on the Residentie Orkest.
Wed 28 Oct, 8.15pm, Nieuwe Kerk: CLOSE UP WITH HAYDN, MARTIN & DVOŘÁK
During Close Up at the Nieuwe Kerk, chamber music comes particularly close: you sit around the musicians, the sound is warm and immediate, and every nuance counts. This edition presents three gems for strings, performed by an ensemble from the Residentie Orkest. The programme unfolds from quartet to sextet, allowing the colours of the string ensemble to become increasingly rich and full. Haydn opens playfully with his famous String Quartet ‘The Joke’, which has been taking audiences by surprise for centuries. Frank Martin’s Pavane couleur du temps is a finely crafted gem: softly pulsating, intimate and clear in tone. Dvořák’s String Sextet brings the evening to a close with a warm-blooded blend of dance rhythms, melancholy and melodic richness. An evening where craftsmanship and imagination come together.
Photos above: Maki Namekawa, Stefan Jackiw en Barbara Kozelj
