Start of advance ticket sales for 'Beethoven 2020' in The Concertgebouw

This coming autumn marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Beethoven's birth, and The Concertgebouw will devote special attention to his music. Four specialized orchestras will – in the span of one week – perform all nine of Beethoven's symphonies in the Main Hall. Beethoven's sonatas will be played in the Recital Hall, and in addition, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra will present Beethoven's Piano Concertos. Advance sales for these concerts – taking place in The Concertgebouw between 11 October and 16 December 2020 – have begun.

Beethoven, a major musical innovator, propelled the symphonic genre to new heights, forging a link between the classical symphonies of Mozart and Haydn and the more intense romanticism of Mahler and Bruckner. The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, playing instruments based on those heard in Beethoven's time, will perform the First, Third, and Ninth symphonies. Beethoven's other symphonies will be in the capable hands of kindred spirits, including the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, who will play symphonies no. 2 and 4, the Freiburger Barockorchester presenting no. 5 and 6, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performing no. 7 and 8.

Beethoven's influence on chamber music can't be underestimated, and so, during Beethoven 2020, his chamber works will take centre stage in the Recital Hall, performed by a range of leading soloists and ensembles, including violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, and pianist Martin Helmchen. Ronald Brautigam will also play Beethoven's piano sonatas on the fortepiano.

Both the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra will be programming Beethoven's piano concertos. On Sunday 11 October, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and soloist Krystian Zimerman will undertake a marathon concert featuring all five of Beethoven's piano concertos. Then, during the weekend of 5 December 2020, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra will perform those same concertos with Arthur and Lucas Jussen.

Advance tickets go on sale
The exclusive advance sale of tickets have started now. This sale will end at midnight on Monday 17, February 2020. After that, all concerts will become available as part of the regular series ticket sales for the 2020/21 season.

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Note to editors: For further information and high res images, please contact Claire Reeves, Interim PR manager and press liaison for The Concertgebouw +31 (0) 20 573 0478 or +31 (0) 6 25091001 e-mail: c.reeves@concertgebouw.nl