Early Music Concerts: performances worldwide

Organ Summer – August 1, 2026

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Domkerk Utrecht

Organ concert by Peter van der Zwaag (Leeuwarden) Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780) Toccata and Fugue in E, Krebs-WV 406 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) O Lamb of God, innocent, BWV 656 Theo Jellema (*1955) Fantasia I Jan Vermulst (1925-1994) Pastorale, op. 357 Jan Koetsier (1911-2006) Choral Fantasy "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", op. 42 Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780) I love you dearly, o Lord, Krebs-WV 526 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 545 Admission is free; afterwards, a financial contribution is requested to help cover the costs of this concert and the continuation of the Saturday Afternoon Music in the Dom Church. A financial contribution is also welcome at account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 of the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, stating the concert date. This concert will also be heard and seen as a livestream via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/domkerkutrecht Please also consider a financial contribution when digitally attending this concert at account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 of the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, stating the concert date.

Organ Summer – August 8, 2026

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Tickets

Domkerk Utrecht

Organ concert by Domorganist Jan Hage Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 550 Jan Hage (b. 1964) 3 Psalms: Psalm 25 Psalm 145 Psalm 24 Jan Welmers (1937-2022) Litany Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Variations on 'Weeping, Wailing, Worrying, Fearing' Jean Guillou (1930-2019) Toccata op. 9 This concert will be available to hear and watch online via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/domkerkutrecht Admission is free, but a financial contribution is requested after the concert, to help cover the costs of this concert and the continuation of Saturday Afternoon Music at Domkerk. A financial contribution is also welcome at account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 of the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, stating the concert date.

Organ Summer – August 15, 2026

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Tickets

Domkerk Utrecht

Organ concert by Evan Bogerd (Amsterdam) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 545 'What would you want to grieve?' From Cantata BWV 107, arr. K. Reymaier Daan Manneke (1939) Ligature (2015) Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) Night on Bald Mountain based on the Rimsky-Korsakov arrangement for orchestra arranged for organ by Zsigmond Szathmáry – Evan Bogerd Evan Bogerd (1993) Improvisation Max Reger (1873-1916) Fantasy on the Chorale ‘Hallelujah, God, to praise my soul’s joy’, Op.52/3 Admission is free, after which a financial contribution is requested to help cover the costs of this concert and the continuation of the Saturday Afternoon Music in the Dom Church. This concert will be available to hear and see via livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/domkerkutrecht Please also consider a financial contribution when digitally attending this concert to account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 of the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, mentioning the concert date.

Organ Summer – August 22, 2026

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Tickets

Domkerk Utrecht

Organ Concert Domorganist Jan Hage Jan Welmers (1937-2022) Von Gott will ich nicht lassen César Franck (1822-1990) Deuxième Choral in B minor Jan Hage (b. 1964) Improvisation Trevor Grahl (b. 1984) Loverbird Max Reger (1873-1916) Phantasy and Fugue in D minor op. 135b Admission is free; afterwards, a financial contribution is requested to support the costs of this concert and the continuation of the Saturday Afternoon Music at Domkerk. This concert will also be streamed live via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/domkerkutrecht Please consider making a financial contribution when attending the concert digitally to account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 of the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, stating the concert date.

Huelgas Ensemble — Festival Prelude: Paris 1200

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

Around 1200, Paris was a hotbed of intellectual, architectural, and musical innovation. While the cathedral, Notre-Dame, was still under scaffolding, an unprecedented musical revolution was unfolding beneath its vaults. Composers such as Leoninus and Perotinus experimented there with a daring innovation: polyphonic music, in which different voices followed their own independent paths. What caused a stir at the time marked the very beginnings of Western polyphony. This flourishing cultural context also led to a major breakthrough in musical notation: for the first time, both pitch and rhythm were accurately recorded. The works that have survived from this period still impress with their richness of sound, inventiveness, and complex structure. Huelgas Ensemble explores this fascinating repertoire through organa, conducti, and motets – music that once filled immense cathedrals and still radiates an intense, spiritual power today. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Malgosia Fiebig — Élisabeth and Isabella

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

They were far ahead of their time: Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre – a successful music entrepreneur in Paris around 1700 – and Isabella Leonarda, who, whilst at the Ursuline convent in Novara, became one of the most prolific female composers ever. Devout and traditional? Call it idiosyncratically elegant! Malgosia Fiebig lets their suites and sonatas, dances and arias fan out over the city centre from a height of 80 metres. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

Utrecht Early Music Festival – August 28

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €36

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

When two voices sing their own melodies simultaneously, all the wonder of polyphony unfolds. In the Renaissance, it was known that with each additional voice, the richness grows – a third, a fourth, a fifth, even a sixth. But what happens when this principle is pushed to the extreme? Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel open the Utrecht Early Music Festival with music by Alessandro Striggio and his contemporaries Orazio Benevolo, Francesco Corteccia, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, expanding the perspective on polyphony to its limits. The complete festival schedule and tickets can be found on the Utrecht Early Music Festival website.

Le Concert Spirituel — Opening Concert: Polyphony x40

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €40 – €46

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

When two voices sing their own melodies simultaneously, we speak of polyphony. In the Renaissance, it was understood that with every additional voice, the richness of the music increased – a third, a fourth, a fifth, even a sixth. But what happens when that principle is taken to the extreme? What if as many as forty different voices were to sound simultaneously in a single breathtaking piece? Around 1566, Alessandro Striggio began this experiment in Florence, commissioned by the Medici. His mass for forty voices grew into a monument: music that left listeners breathless. Striggio took the work on a tour of Europe, where it became a true sensation and inspired numerous fellow composers. Afterwards, the piece, known as the Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno, was lost for a long time. Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel rescue this magnificent work from oblivion, with singers and instruments. Music by contemporaries such as Orazio Benevolo, Francesco Corteccia and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina deepen the perspective on this polyphony of extremes – a sound that remains just as overwhelming five hundred years later. Also live on www.emtv.online. With an introduction by Annelies Andries (19:15 hrs, in Dutch) and a Q&A session (after the concert, in English), both taking place in the Fentener van Vlissingen Foyer (limited capacity)

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

Even before the first note of the day sounds, there is coffee. And conversation. Every morning in The Early Music Breakfast Show, artistic advisor Jed Wentz talks with musicians who will take the stage later in the day. Tune your ears, your attention, and your curiosity to the FOMU wavelength here – the rest will follow naturally! It will be neither a formal introduction, nor a casual chat. Wentz dives into the gulf between the two: half in the music, totally in the story. Here, plans are forged, ideas tested, and thoughts shared. You will hear artistic reflections, meet top artists, and get a glimpse into festival matters both on stage and behind the scenes. The ideal kick-off for a day that could go in any direction. Visit The Early Music Breakfast Show daily for free from Saturday, August 29 to Sunday, September 6 at Het Gegeven Paard (TivoliVredenburg), from 10:00 to 10:30 hrs. Language: English Host: Jed Wentz (artistic advisor Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht) Set pieces by Jasmijn Piek

Scratch Choir for Amateur Singers — Led by Lionel Meunier

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Doopsgezinde Kerk)

Want to become part of Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht yourself and sing along? You can with our Scratch for Amateur Singers. Under the expert and inspiring guidance of bass and Vox Luminis leader Lionel Meunier, you will try your hand at vocal early music gems by Thomas Tallis, Henri Dumont, and Thomas Morley’s Funeral Sentences. The presentation is open to the public and will take place at 16:30 hrs in the K.F. Hein Foyer of TivoliVredenburg. Language: English 11:00-15:30 Rehearsal in the Doopsgezinde Kerk 16:30-16:45 Presentation in TivoliVredenburg / K.F. Heinfoyer NB: registration for the scratch is full. New applications will be placed on the waiting list.

Malgosia Fiebig — England, my England

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

Melancholy, madrigals, majesty: England shows its best vocal side in this anthology of Renaissance and Baroque. Malgosia Fiebig makes the Dom Tower tremble with songs by John Dowland, Thomas Tallis, and Henry Purcell, arranged for carillon. To the tones of mournful songs and dance-like chaconnes, the entire city centre is enveloped in wistful beauty. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

Musica Gloria — Musick for a While: The Purcells

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Were they brothers or cousins? In any case, Henry and Daniel Purcell shared a life in music. They sang in the same choir, both worked in the London theatre scene, and even composed together occasionally. Musica Gloria intertwines their oeuvres into an imaginary Baroque opera, in which the arias, dances, and instrumental pieces interlock wondrously: a generous palette of English Baroque for countertenor, recorders, oboe, viola da gamba, and continuo. Available online from 1 November 2026 via www.emtv.online. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

A wooden puppet comes to life – but where is her voice? When Arlecchina loses her ventriloquist, a wild search for sound and identity begins. With the help of a motley crew, she goes to see the Queen of England (leading lady Emma Kirkby!), hoping she can make her speak. Throughout the festival, ĀRT HOUSE 17 serves up this sparkling early musical, full of commedia dell’arte, acrobatics, and music from Dowland to Purcell. Family show This performance is recommended for children aged 8 and over. This age recommendation is for indication purposes only – it is up to parents and/or guardians to judge whether the performance is suitable. We strongly advise against bringing children under the age of 1 to the performance. The performance on 5 September at 11:00 hours is also live via www.emtv.online.

Gli Angeli Genève — Ich habe genug: Bach for Bass

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

Perhaps the most captivating and beloved music Bach ever wrote: his solo cantatas for bass. In Ich habe genug, Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen and the excerpt Der Friede sei mit dir, a comforting voice looks back on life, with a hopeful vision of the afterlife. Stephan MacLeod sings and conducts his Gli Angeli Genève, complementing Bach’s spiritual influence with Henry Purcell, Antonio Lotti, and Johann Christoph Bach. Also live on www.emtv.online.

The Early Music Hifi Sessions — With Sébastien Daucé

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Hifi Studio Wilbert)

Organist and harpsichordist Sébastien Daucé, with his Ensemble Correspondances, tirelessly dedicates himself to the rediscovery of seventeenth-century French music. What does recorded music mean for his artistic quest? Which recordings have inspired him? How does live experience relate to recording culture in his work and inspiration? Language: English With thanks to Hifi Studio Wilbert.

Pieter-Jan Belder — The Playing Byrd 1: Byrd & Tomkins

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

‘Some pieces are so difficult that no one in Europe would dare attempt to play them after just a month,’ wrote Charles Burney of the virginalist repertoire. Pieter-Jan Belder is already bracing himself for the enchanting yet blisteringly virtuosic music of William Byrd and his pupil Thomas Tomkins. One built up the repertoire, the other pushed the boundaries of the stylistic rules. With variation series such as Walsingham and Barafostous’ Dreame, this recital is the epitome of refined keyboard artistry. Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 January 2027 via www.emtv.online.

L'Achéron — Marais’s Favorites

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Beelaerts van Bloklandzaal)

Versailles is bathed in darkness, but the Sun King is still awake. In a room next to the royal sleeping quarters, Marin Marais lets his beloved viola da gamba sing nocturnal confessions: lamenting, tender, seductive. François Joubert-Caillet and L’Achéron selected pieces from Marais’s royal catalogue in which the viola da gamba best approximates the human voice: from the sweet-voiced La Rêveuse and the legendary Les voix humaines, through mournful tombeaux, to the dizzying Labyrinthe.

Dialogos — Coup in the Cathedral

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €22 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

Was Notre-Dame in Paris the place where the earliest polyphony originated? Not exactly. Take Winchester Cathedral, 964. The canons are kicked out, monks take over. What follows is a clash of voices: who may sing, who must remain silent? Ensemble Dialogos highlights that turning point with music from the Winchester Troparium: a collection like a chronicle of war, revealing how early polyphony wriggles free from Gregorian chant: raw, virtuosic, and unpredictable.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Organ Summer – August 29, 2026

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Tickets

Domkerk Utrecht

Organ concert by former Dom organist Jan Jansen Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697) Prelude and Fugue in E minor Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) La Follia Cor Kee (1900-1997) Phases (1968) Richard Hol (1825-1904) Fantasie “From Darkness to Light” Herman Strategier (1912-1988) Voluntary for a Cathedral Organ (1975): Prelude, Molto tranquillo, Toccata Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Passacaglia BWV 582 Admission is free, but a financial contribution is requested after the concert to help cover the costs of this concert and the continued existence of the Saturday Afternoon Music at the Dom Church. This concert will also be streamed live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/domkerkutrecht Please consider making a financial contribution when participating digitally, using account number NL96 RABO 0187 4857 47 from the Stichting Zaterdagmiddagmuziek Domkerk Utrecht, mentioning the concert date.

Utrecht Early Music Festival – August 29

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

Musica Gloria opens with an imaginary baroque opera, blending the music of Henry and Daniel Purcell with arias, dance, and instrumental pieces. Gli Angeli Genève follows in the afternoon with perhaps the most captivating music Bach wrote: his solo cantatas for bass. Artist in Residence Patrick Ayrton creates new music that imitates baroque – but can it be distinguished? Ensemble Correspondances concludes by bringing baroque masters from Notre-Dame back from oblivion with a repertoire they master perfectly and a sublime balance between soloists, choir, and instruments. The complete festival schedule and tickets can be found on the Utrecht Early Music Festival website.

Patrick Ayrton & Friends — Astrophil & Stella

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Can you compose new Baroque music in 2026? Artist in residence Patrick Ayrton put it to the test. In Astrophil & Stella, his song cycle set to texts by Elizabethan poets such as Philip Sidney, John Donne, and William Shakespeare, he employs the musical language of 17th-century England. After years of studying counterpoint, rhetoric, and improvisation, this is Ayrton’s compelling proposition: a love letter to the English Baroque. Available online from 1 April 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Sollazzo Ensemble — Anonyma

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Jacobikerk)

The ‘anonymous’ composer we so often encounter in early music sources was rarely a woman. Or was it? Sollazzo Ensemble explores this question with chansons from the 15th century in which a female or neutral voice speaks. Around Margaret of Austria – collector, patron, and grande dame of Low Country polyphony – a programme unfolds that challenges not only the ear but also the imagination: a subtle thought exercise regarding perspective, identity, and the voices that history forgot.

Ensemble Correspondances — Notre-Dame de Paris: Campra's Requiem

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €40 – €46

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

André Campra’s famous Messe de Requiem did not come about by chance. The work grew out of the rich musical tradition of Notre-Dame in Paris. Composers wrote music for church services there on a daily basis, thereby contributing to the splendour of the French Baroque period, known as the Grand Siècle (c. 1700). Many of Campra’s colleagues were later forgotten. But tonight, the works of Jean Veillot, Jean Mignon and Pierre Robert will once again be heard alongside Campra’s masterpiece. Ensemble Correspondances and conductor Sébastien Daucé are among the foremost specialists in this repertoire. With a refined balance between soloists, choir and instruments, they bring this music back to life. Also live on www.emtv.online. With an introduction by Annelies Andries (19:15 hrs, in Dutch) and a Q&A session (after the concert, in English), both taking place in the Fentener van Vlissingen Foyer (limited capacity)

Emma-Lisa Roux — Music and poetry in the French Baroque

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 20:15:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Balzaal)

Emma-Lisa Roux sings and accompanies herself on the lute in Airs de Cour by Antoine Boësset. She makes it all look so effortless: singing with a crystal-clear timbre and playing without losing sight of a single delicate ornament. In our salon, she meets Simon Mulder, who juxtaposes the words of P.C. Hooft with her lute songs – an evening full of reflections. Host: Simon Mulder Language: Dutch, English

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

Daria Spiridonova — The voice of the people on violin

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Cloud Nine)

How much can you get out of a single violin? Daria Spiridonova gives a voice to traditional songs from all corners of the globe, from Lithuania through Tibet, to Norway, Catalonia, and Ethiopia: music with the depth to bridge differences and the strength to defy generations. Spiridonova brings these mini-stories to life with the aid of gut strings and bow: a poetic narrative brimming with expressiveness and nuance. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Film: Tous les matins du monde — in collaboration with Slachtstraat Filmtheater

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:45:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Slachtstraat Filmtheater)

Together with Slachtstraat Filmtheater in Utrecht, we are presenting a special screening of Tous les matins du monde (Alain Corneau, 1991), the acclaimed French film about music, ambition, and the remarkable relationship between the viol master Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and his pupil Marin Marais. Marais became the most celebrated composer for the viola da gamba and played a pivotal role in the instrument's development. His virtuosic and deeply expressive music remains a cornerstone of the viola da gamba repertoire. Set in seventeenth-century France, the film is renowned for its magnificent soundtrack, performed by Jordi Savall on period instruments. Even for audiences unfamiliar with early music, it offers an engaging introduction to the world of the viola da gamba and the French Baroque. Before the screening, musicologist and editor Marjolein Wellink will give a short introductory talk on behalf of Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, exploring the film's historical background, its music, and the composers featured in it. Start introduction: 11:30 hrs. NB: The film is in French with English subtitles Credits Director Alain Corneau Cast with Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Anne Brochet Genre Drama Duration 115 min. Country France Language French Subtitles English

Festival of Early Music Utrecht – August 30

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

How much can you get out of one violin? In Cloud Nine, Daria Spiridonova gives voice to traditional songs from various regions, from Lithuania to Tibet, Norway, Catalonia, and Ethiopia. Music and science meet in a dialogue with Anthony Heidweiller & Roderik Gerritse about breathing, concentration, and voice in Hertz. The festival kicks off in the late afternoon with Música Temprana and L'Arpeggiata. You can find the full festival schedule and tickets on the Festival of Early Music Utrecht website.

Catalina Vicens — The Playing Byrd 2: Byrd & Dowland

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

Melodies with wings: in the England of William Byrd and John Dowland, they float effortlessly from voice to lute, from lute to keyboard – and back again. Catalina Vicens follows in their footsteps on virginal and harpsichord, where dances, ballads, and pavans continually take on new forms. Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 November 2026 via www.emtv.online.

Música Temprana — Voices in Mirror Image (extra concert!)

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

NB: this is the same concert as on 30 August at 17:00 hrs. Discover the sparkling world of villancicos de remedo: music full of colour, rhythm, and stories from the Spanish-speaking world. These works play with imitation: singers step into the shoes of a wide variety of characters, thus giving voice to diverse cultural perspectives. Música Temprana brings this unique music to life together with performer, poet, and specialist in Latin American culture Nanne Timmer. In this way, every voice takes on meaning within the historical and colonial context in which this music originated. A surprising and thought-provoking programme.

The Marian Consort — The forgotten voice of Lusitano

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

Vicente Lusitano was once a celebrated composer and theorist, renowned for his sharp musical insights – and one of the rare known composers of African descent in 16th-century Europe. Today, his name is largely forgotten. Unjustly so, according to The Marian Consort, which brings together his motets in a compact showcase. Works by contemporaries such as Vicentino, Danckerts, and Lassus place the Portuguese composer back in the musical heart of High Renaissance Rome, where he managed to carve out his own niche. Available online from 1 October 2026 via www.emtv.online.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Antoinette Lohmann & Rembrandt Frerichs — Free rein

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Leeuwenbergh)

In the violin sonatas of Dario Castello, Biagio Marini, Marco Uccelini, and Pandolfi Mealli, you never know what is about to happen. Tempos shift, lines break off, and ornaments emerge on the spot. The score is not a final result but a starting point for capricious music that irresistibly carves its way through the silence. Violinist Antoinette Lohmann and master improviser Rembrandt Frerichs do not simply play what’s written, but play with the music put before them, giving a voice to the present and the past.

Koen Cosaert — Gaillards and Gigues

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

While John Dowland was conquering Europe around 1600 with melancholic chamber music, William Byrd was bringing the art of dance and variation to a climax at the court of Elizabeth I. Koen Cosaert – city carillonneur in no fewer than four Belgian cities – delves into the legendary Fitzwilliam Virginal Book and unleashes galliards, almans, and gigues on the equally renowned Hemony bells of the Dom Tower. Listening spot: Buurkerhof

Música Temprana — Voices in Mirror Image NB: there is an extra concert at 13:00 hrs

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

NB: due to high demand, an extra concert has been added on 30 August at 13:00. Click here to go to that concert. Discover the sparkling world of villancicos de remedo: music full of colour, rhythm, and stories from the Spanish-speaking world. These works play with imitation: singers step into the shoes of a wide variety of characters, thus giving voice to diverse cultural perspectives. Música Temprana brings this unique music to life together with performer, poet, and specialist in Latin American culture Nanne Timmer. In this way, every voice takes on meaning within the historical and colonial context in which this music originated. A surprising and thought-provoking programme. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Mozaïque — An Italian in Vienna: Caldara’s Cantatas

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

Vienna may have been the heart of the Habsburg Empire, but Italian music was predominant at court. When Antonio Caldara became Deputy Kapellmeister there in 1717, he also imported the Roman cantata style. In these miniature dramas of love and jealousy, nymphs and shepherds populate an Arcadian landscape, and every aria opens a new chapter of longing. Chloé de Guillebon is a rising star as a harpsichordist, conductor, and ensemble leader, and the ideal interpreter for Caldara’s refined theatre. Available online from 1 May 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Le Salon: Jawa Manla — Music and Poetry from the Arabic Tradition

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 20:15:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Balzaal)

One sound and the whole story shifts. In the Arabic tradition, the voice carries the word, but the finely tuned oud goes along with you, answers, pushes back. Jawa Manla plays and sings in one sweeping gesture, carried by the same breath. Simon Mulder counters the songs with poetry that is at times caressing, at times grating. No fixed form, no predictable progression: in this salon, every phrase is the beginning of a new conversation. Host: Simon Mulder Language: Dutch, English

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

Erik Bosgraaf c.s. — Uytnemende Phoenixen

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Around 1600, the emancipation of instrumental music began. Instruments no longer had to imitate vocal parts, but took the reins themselves. Publishers and contemporaries spoke admiringly of the composers of canzonas, ricercares, and sonatas as the ‘excellent Phoenixes’ of their art. With works by Frescobaldi, Buonamenten and Rossi, recorder star Erik Bosgraaf demonstrates how this ostentatious style steered instrumental music onto a new path – when instruments discovered their own voice. Available online from 1 February 2027 via www.emtv.online. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

Maciej Skrzeczkowski — The Playing Byrd 3: Byrd & Bull

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

Both were driving forces in musical life at the Elizabethan court. But in terms of character, William Byrd and John Bull could not have been more different. Byrd writes with a steady hand: pavans, galliards, and variations in which every voice knows its place. Bull likes to pull out all the stops, including virtuosic thematic variations and daring chromaticism. In this recital, Maciej Skrzeczkowski demonstrates how two keyboard geniuses around 1600 spoke the same language but wrote a different story. Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 April 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Intesa — Voices of San Lazzaro

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Beelaerts van Bloklandzaal)

Venice never sleeps. On the lagoon island of San Lazzaro, Armenian monks sing their centuries-old prayers; in the Venetian city centre, the Baroque ignites with Claudio Monteverdi, Barbara Strozzi, and the Caccini sisters. The gambas and voices of the Intesa ensemble bring these repertoires together: mystical songs by Grigor Narekatsi and Nerses Shnorhali build bridges with Italian madrigals full of yearning and sorrow.

Phaedrus & Jonatan Alvarado — Holy Ghost

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

A gust of wind, fiery tongues, voices suddenly speaking all languages: this is how the story of Pentecost describes the coming of the Holy Spirit. Ensemble Phaedrus translates that vision into a concert programme in which the music literally breathes (again). Voice and traverso consort rediscover the polyphony of Josquin, Ockeghem, and contemporaries with improvisation and ornamentation. A concert as an experience in which you don’t know what you see, but certainly feel what you hear. Available online from 1 February 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Nicolaas Stam — Singing in Bronze

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

Een beiaardier die ook zanger is: als er iemand weet hoe melodieën ademen en spreken, dan is het Nicolaas Stam. Net 20 is Stam, en nu al het soort multitalent waar je als publiek blij van wordt. In een recital als een drielandenpunt koppelt hij Franse chansons, Italiaanse madrigalen en Engelse luitliederen aan fragmenten uit de vierde cellosuite van Johann Sebastian Bach. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

The Marian Consort — The Singing Byrd 1: Singing in Secret

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Sint-Augustinuskerk)

In the England of Elizabeth I, the Catholic faith was forbidden territory. Yet music was heard during secret masses in private homes and remote chapels. That of William Byrd, for example: a top Tudor composer but also the author of a clandestine oeuvre. The Marian Consort reconstructs a hidden service with Byrd's Mass for Four Voices, interspersed with motets for Corpus Christi. Once intended for a closed circle of believers, this repertoire is now given free rein. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Patrick Ayrton & Friends — The Italian Project

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Why should we play only composers from the past? Contemporary voices also deserve a place at Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht. For many years, there was a taboo on new music in the Baroque style, but composing in the spirit of the old masters is anything but pretentious. In the Baroque era, it was actually a matter of course: every musician wrote their own music. In The Italian Project, artist-in-residence Patrick Ayrton juxtaposes his own compositions with works by Monteverdi, Caccini, and Sigismondo d’India. Available online from 1 May 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Utrecht Early Music Festival – August 31

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

The Early Music Breakfast Show starts the day with coffee, conversation, and music at Het Gegeven Paard. There, Jed Wentz hosts musicians who will perform later. In the Hertz, recorder player Erik Bosgraaf demonstrates how 17th-century composers innovated instrumental music. Patrick Ayrton breaks the taboo of new music in baroque style, composing in the spirit of the old masters. La Tempête takes us into the night: from Gregorian and Renaissance motets to the serene sounds of Arvo Pärt and Frank Martin. The complete festival schedule and tickets can be found on the Utrecht Early Music Festival website.

La Tempête — Nocturne of Loss and Hope

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €40 – €46

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

La Tempête transports the audience into the atmosphere of the days leading up to Easter, when sorrow and hope lie close together. Over the course of three key days in the church year – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday – the programme builds step by step towards Easter, accompanied by appropriate music. In this concert, Gregorian chants and Renaissance music by Orlandus Lassus, Thomas Tallis and Cristóbal de Morales come together with the contemplative works of Arvo Pärt and the impressive double-choir mass by Frank Martin. Two choirs move through the space, enveloping the audience in sound. This creates an intense musical experience in which different eras and styles converge in a single nocturnal journey. Also live on www.emtv.online. With an introduction by Annelies Andries (19:15 hrs, in Dutch) and a Q&A session (after the concert, in English), both taking place in the Fentener van Vlissingen Foyer (limited capacity)

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

Teodoro Baù & Andrea Buccarella — Bach’s Sonatas for Gamba and Harpsichord

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Historical sources frequently compare the viola da gamba to the human voice. In Bach’s sonatas for gamba and harpsichord, everything sings, no one is master, no one is servant. With four grandiose compositions, the Thomaskantor sketched the outlines of a new kind of chamber music, in which instrumental partners each acquire their own voice – sometimes agreeing, then challenging, but always in sharp dialogue. Taking the sonatas as a starting point, Teodoro Baù and Andrea Buccarella delve into the essence of Johann Sebastian’s sonorous revolution. Available online from 1 January 2027 via www.emtv.online. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

Irene Roldán — The Playing Byrd 4: Byrd & Cabezón

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

In 1554, the Spanish court organist Antonio de Cabezón travelled to England. We do not know whether the young William Byrd met him there. However, similarities between their compositions give us food for thought. In variations, dance forms, and counterpoint, the same questions are asked and comparable solutions found. Irene Roldán proposes a possible encounter – not as a historical fact, but as a thought experiment and listening exercise: what if you place their music side by side and take the similarities seriously? Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 November 2026 via www.emtv.online.

The Early Music Hifi Sessions — With Emma Kirkby

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Hifi Studio Wilbert)

Dame Emma Kirkby’s voice and interpretations have influenced – and continue to influence – generations of early music lovers. In a long career, she traversed repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to Baroque masterpieces, always with a love for music and words. What do recordings mean for her personal and professional history? Which recordings does she cherish as defining her musical development? Language: English With thanks to Hifi Studio Wilbert.

La Néréide — Heart or head?

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

In a boarding school – somewhere in the France of Louis XIV – girls learn to pray and be obedient during the day. But in the evening, other emotions sneak inside the school walls: desire, doubt, rebellion. La Néréide captures the life of such a demoiselle, caught between devotion and passion, in music. Monumental misereres by Clérambault and Lalouette clash with provocative airs de cour by Lambert, Jacquet de la Guerre, and contemporaries. Who wins the duel between head and heart?

Ordo Virtutum — Notre-Dame de Paris: The Polyphonic Monastery

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

For centuries, monks sang a single melody. Until someone dared to add a second. Thus, around the year 1000, a new phenomenon emerged: the organum. What begins as a shadow voice grows into a sophisticated polyphonic art form that leaves all of Europe perplexed. Ordo Virtutum follows this revolutionary development from the monasteries around Lake Constance to Chartres, Santiago, and Notre-Dame in Paris.

Malgosia Fiebig — Marais and Son

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

The name Marin Marais is music to the ears of every viola da gamba enthusiast. After all, the star musician of the court of Louis XIV gave the instrument its golden age. His son Roland continued to write that story with equally inspiring suites full of dances and character pieces. Malgosia Fiebig does not rely on wood and strings, but on bronze and hammers. You’ve never heard this sophisticated music like this before. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

Utrecht Early Music Festival – September 1

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

Historical sources often compare the viola da gamba to the human voice. In Bach’s sonatas for gamba and harpsichord, everything sings: nobody is master, nobody is servant. Using these sonatas as a starting point, Teodoro Baù and Andrea Buccarella explore the essence of Johann Sebastian's musical revolution. Later at Hertz, soprano Rachel Redmont and Ensemble Masques return to Greek mythology with Handel’s Acis and Galatea. In the Grote Zaal, ĀRT HOUSE 17 presents an anything but ordinary concert format with a choir of 170 singers, acrobatics, and dance, as an ode to the beauty of diversity. The full festival schedule and tickets can be found on the Utrecht Early Music Festival website.

The Lyons Mouth — The Singing Byrd 2: A Flyght Around the Sun

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Sint-Catharinakathedraal)

Everything has its own time. Except for the music of William Byrd: a man for all seasons! The Lyons Mouth follows him through the liturgical year, from Advent to Advent, through feast days, Lent, and everything in between. Latin motets such as the poignant Vide Domine – written in a time of religious friction – form the core, while English madrigals and motets complement Byrd's image. A kaleidoscope of genres, atmospheres, and languages, carried by five young voices that fill the year with song. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Ensemble Masques — Handel’s Acis and Galatea

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Long ago, somewhere on the island of Sicily. Galatea loses her heart to Acis. But the jealous Polyphemus also sets his sights on the desirable nymph – with all the fateful consequences that ensue. In Handel's Acis and Galatea, the world is populated by whistling birds, shepherds in love, and fierce cyclops. Soprano Rachel Redmond and Ensemble Masques present this juicy pastorale with a playful wink and a touch of seduction. Available online from 1 March 2027 via www.emtv.online.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 & Friends — Over the Rainbow

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €40 – €46

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

In Baroque opera, the boundaries between male and female roles were often surprisingly fluid. Men played women, women played men, and castrati occupied a space somewhere in between. ĀRT HOUSE 17 picks up on this theme with a colourful performance in which various styles and ideas from past and present come together. Music by Bach, Handel, Bertali, Schmelzer and Vivaldi is combined with songs such as Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens and Somewhere over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz. Everything is performed on historical instruments, just as they were used during the Baroque period. The choreography is by the renowned Antwerp-based artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. In addition, some 250 members of the inclusive The Space Choir take to the stage, alongside clowns, dancers and acrobats. The result is a festive and surprising performance that celebrates the power of diversity. Also live on www.emtv.online. With an introduction by Annelies Andries (19:15 hrs, in Dutch) and a Q&A session (after the concert, in English), both taking place in the Fentener van Vlissingen Foyer (limited capacity)

Le Salon: Luciana Cueto & Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel — Music and Poetry from the Spanish Renaissance

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:15:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Balzaal)

The doors of the salon swing open tonight for Luciana Cueto and Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel. The soprano and the instrumental all-rounder penetrate to the core of Spanish Renaissance and Baroque music: text, rhythm, colour. Simon Mulder joins the play with words that both support and oppose. With texts by Juan del Encina and Lope de Vega. Host: Simon Mulder Language: Dutch, English

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Emmanuelle Dauvin — Violin and organ for one

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

T he North German Baroque composer Nicolaus Bruhns was known for his stunning multitasking: playing the violin from the organ bench while playing the bass line on the organ pedals with his feet. Violinist Emmanuelle Dauvin follows in his footsteps. In chaconnes and passacaglias by Bach, Biber, and Westhoff, the music builds upon a single foundation: from austere counterpoint to lush ornamentation. An absolute must-see, this sublime duet for one! Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

The Early Music Hifi Sessions — With Beniamino Paganini & Nele Vertommen

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Hifi Studio Wilbert)

Baroque oboist Nele Vertommen and harpsichordist and traverso player Beniamino Paganini jointly lead the young Flemish ensemble Musica Gloria. Which recordings have shaped their musical ears? What are their own thoughts on recording with their ensemble? In conversation with festival director Xavier Vandamme, they share their favourite listening moments. Language: Dutch With thanks to Hifi Studio Wilbert.

Andrea Buccarella — The Playing Byrd 5: Byrd & Sweelinck

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

T hey probably never met, but they were certainly like-minded – so it would seem from the music of William Byrd and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Both closely followed musical activities across the North Sea. In this recital, Andrea Buccarella has the keyboard icons engage in a hearty duel with fantasies, dances, and variations that often prove to be surprisingly related. Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 December 2026 via www.emtv.online.

Utrecht Festival of Early Music – September 2

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

An absolute must-see on this day is the stunning multitasker Emmanuelle Dauvin, who plays both violin and organ in the Great Hall. In the afternoon, Ensemble Odyssee presents music by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, where instruments disguise themselves and imitate. In the evening, it’s the Friends Concert: Gabrieli Consort & Players takes you to Venice in 1595, with music where religion, politics, and art converge. The full festival schedule and tickets can be found on the Utrecht Festival of Early Music website.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Ensemble Leones — The Voice of Oswald

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

Oswald von Wolkenstein was not a poet who coloured inside the lines. In his texts, verses about courtly love collide with hearty travel tales and raw humour. In his music, monophony heads toward a clash with early polyphony. Ensemble Leones places the music in its native landscape: the Dolomites, where myths, echoes, and memories are trapped between the mountain peaks. From legends and songs emerges the portrait of a singer who proves to be remarkably contemporary six centuries later. Available online from 1 March 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Ensemble Odyssee — Theatre without voices

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Can you imitate trumpets, drums, or shepherd’s flutes? If your name is Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, the answer is ‘yes’! His Sérénade ou concert (1697) is playful sound theatre in which instruments disguise themselves and imitate one another. Recorders, oboes, and strings effortlessly switch roles in minuets, gavottes, and pastoral dances. Ensemble Odyssee connects Montéclair’s music with the work of Jean-Féry Rebel, resulting in a Baroque masquerade full of echoes, mirror images, and sound illusions. Available online from 1 January 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Oisín Dilger & Lauren Jackson — Tower for Two

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

Two carillonneurs, one keyboard. Lauren Jackson and Oisín Dilger occupy the tower together for a programme in which dance, counterpoint, and song meet. Frescobaldi’s correntes, Scarlatti’s lyrical Largo, and Dowland’s characterful galliards alternate with works by Bach and Ortiz. Music once heard on lute, harpsichord, or violin undergoes a thorough makeover – sometimes as a duet, sometimes solo, always with graceful timbres perfectly tailored to the carillon. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

La Tempête — From darkness to light

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €25 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Jacobikerk)

La Tempête takes us on a musical journey through more than a thousand years of history. From Gregorian chants and rich Renaissance polyphony to the serene, almost timeless music of Arvo Pärt: the same quest resonates throughout – going from darkness to light. At the centre is Mary, a symbol of new life and hope. Around her persona, eight voices build a sound world that slowly becomes light: from subdued and mysterious to bright and comforting.

Stile Antico — The Singing Byrd 3: England’s Nightingale

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

William Byrd is the embodiment of polyphony, all by himself. At the Protestant court of Elizabeth I, he was regarded as a loyal court musician. Yet secretly, he also wrote music for the persecuted Catholic community. With a carefully curated selection from Byrd's shimmering motets, hushed prayers, and intense choruses of jubilation, Stile Antico weaves aspects of his life as an artist, subject, dissident, and recluse into a single striking portrait. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Gabrieli Consort & Players — Friends Concert: Coronation in Venice, 1595

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €40 – €46

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Grote Zaal)

Step back into Venice in 1595: a city of canals, masks and power. In the famous Basilica of St Mark’s, Marino Grimani is crowned Doge, the political head of the Venetian Republic. Such an impressive ceremony called for equally impressive music. This programme features festive toccatas and canzonas by Bendinelli and Giovanni Gabrieli, interspersed with a solemn mass by Andrea Gabrieli. Choirs and instrumental groups respond to one another from different points in the space, so that the music literally comes from all sides. This coronation music was intended to overwhelm and move the audience. Even today, it remains an impressive total experience, full of grandeur and rich sound. Also live on www.emtv.online. With an introduction by Annelies Andries (19:15 hrs, in Dutch) and a Q&A session (after the concert, in English), both taking place in the Fentener van Vlissingen Foyer (limited capacity)

Le Salon: Ivo Haun — Music and Poetry around Dowland

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:15:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Balzaal)

In the lute songs of John Dowland, melancholy becomes almost palpable: take the iconic lute songs such as Come Again, Flow My Tears, and Lachrimae with their descending bass lines, harmonic sighs, and melodies that take hold of the mind and heart. Following in the footsteps of the Elizabethan bard, Ivo Haun opts for the tried-and-tested recipe of ‘man and lute’: a duality that effortlessly strikes a sensitive chord. Simon Mulder selects words by Dirck Rafaelszoon Camphuysen and William Shakespeare that make the listening experience even more intense. Host: Simon Mulder Language: Dutch, English

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Ayrton, Coolen & Zipperling — Passagiata

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

What can you do with a single long note? Embellish it, thought the Renaissance man, and he improvised away. Diminutions and divisions transformed simple tunes with scales, leaps, and ornaments. Saskia Coolen, Rainer Zipperling, and artist-in-residence Patrick Ayrton are masters of this game. In Passaggiata, they start with music by Ortiz, Coprario, and Selma y Salaverde. Where the score ends, imagination begins. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

Bertrand Cuiller — The Playing Byrd 6: Byrd & Ligeti

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

Yes, Byrd again. And this time, William faces resistance. When Bertrand Cuiller juxtaposes the English virginalist with the Hungarian éminence grise György Ligeti, everything is suddenly up in the air: patterns emerge, voices intertwine, time seems to flow differently. Four centuries apart, the same obsession with structure, texture, and motif: Cuiller keeps the reins tight, but lets things derail just enough to make it exciting! Harpsichord: Boccalari 1669 Available online from 1 December 2026 via www.emtv.online.

Guide to Early Music — With Stef Grondelaers

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Instituto Cervantes)

Following an introduction by early music expert Stef Grondelaers, you will set off together to attend three concerts. During a convivial dinner together, there will be plenty of time to discuss your experiences in detail. 13:00 Introduction 15:00 Per-Sonat 17:00 Tenebrae Choir 18:00 Dinner 20:00 Graindelavoix Includes dinner and a voucher for a programme book. There are also guides on 29, 30 and 31 August, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 September. Click on a date for more information. Language: Dutch The guide contains a general introduction to the festival theme. It then goes on to discuss the specific concerts covered in this guide.

The Early Music Hifi Sessions — With Paul McCreesh

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Hifi Studio Wilbert)

Conductor Paul McCreesh is one of the great voices within historically informed performance practice, and some of his recordings from the 1980s and 1990s have become part of the collective memory of every early music lover. What attracts McCreesh to studio versus live recordings? A conversation and listening session together with festival director Xavier Vandamme. Language: English With thanks to Hifi Studio Wilbert.

Per-Sonat — Notre-Dame de Paris: Voices in the Vaults

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €28

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Pieterskerk)

Paris, 13th century. In Notre-Dame, a second voice hovers above the Gregorian chant. And then another. What begins as simple ornamentation grows into a dizzying web of melodies. Per-Sonat found the spark from which a new musical style ignited: a treatise that teaches singers how to improvise. With the composed organa of Leoninus and Perotinus as a guide, our favourite medieval experts navigate between canon and creativity. Available online from 1 December 2026 via www.emtv.online.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Nari Baroque Ensemble — Son rosignolo

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

This concert is sold out.

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Beelaerts van Bloklandzaal)

A man who transforms into a nightingale. A desperate soul who entrusts his worries to the wind. A nymph who becomes a reed and can sing again – now as a flute. Throughout the Baroque period, the voices of man and nature are in constant dialogue. With arias, diminutions, and instrumental miniatures by John Dowland, Georg Friedrich Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti, and François Couperin, Nari Baroque takes us to landscapes filled with intriguing phenomena and wondrous creatures.

Henk Veldman — Tears Without Regret

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

John Dowland established a solid reputation around 1600 as a master of melancholy. Superhits like Come Again and Flow My Tears form the heart of Henk Veldman's carillon programme. The titular carillonneur of Leiden, Raalte, and Bussum places these immortal songs alongside music by Nicolas Vallet and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. The grand finale: William Byrd's virtuoso The Bells, in which a simple bass line grows into a spectacle of clappers. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

Utrecht Early Music Festival – September 3

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

The Early Music Breakfast Show opens the day with coffee, conversation, and music at Het Gegeven Paard. Jed Wentz welcomes musicians who will perform later that day. Following this, a concert featuring Artist in Residence Patrick Ayrton will take place, alongside Saskia Coolen and Rainer Zipperling, masters in the art of embellishments and improvisation. In the afternoon, the other Artist in Residence, Ensemble Castelkorn, will perform with soprano Hana Blažíková in the Herzt. Today also marks the start of the three-day Early Music Market. Graindelavoix closes the festival day with a unique voice: the crackling recording from 1902 of the voice of Alessandro Moreschi, the last castrato. From that discomfort, Graindelavoix explores the great vocal secret of early music. You can find the complete festival program and tickets on the website of the Utrecht Early Music Festival.

Tenebrae Choir — The Singing Byrd 4: Mass for Five Voices

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

Forget the keys. William Byrd also wrote for the voice – and how! In an England where Catholic masses were forbidden, the Mass for Five Voices and the motet Infelix ego were allowed to be heard only in closed settings. The music speaks volumes: Byrd’s polyphony is always restrained but never neutral. Voices seek each other out, hold back, build tension without exploding. Tenebrae exposes that tension with almost clinical precision: every line counts, every breath carries weight. Also live on www.emtv.online.

Ensemble Castelkorn & Hana Blažíková — Traces of Moravia

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Leoš Janáček transcribed Moravian folk songs as he heard them: raw and direct. Ensemble Castelkorn starts from his arrangements and adapts them to their own style with the intriguing voice of Hana Blažíková and eight instruments. While poetry fulfils its role as the shepherd of the score, melodies take on a rosy glow thanks to new colours and contours. Instrumental music by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber provides space, movement, and relief in this celebration of recognition and rediscovery. Available online from 1 March 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Le Salon: Giovanna Baviera — Music and Poetry from the Italian Early Baroque Period

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:15:00 GMT

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Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Paushuize / Balzaal)

In the ballroom of Paushuize, Giovanna Baviera accomplishes a task that long seemed impossible: she sings and accompanies herself on the viola da gamba. The music is by Arcadelt, while the words are provided by Petrarca and Mellin de Saint-Gelais. Host Simon Mulder recites and guides the evening along poetic paths. Host: Simon Mulder Language: Dutch, English

The Early Music Breakfast Show

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Tivolivredenburg / Het Gegeven Paard)

Sophie de Bardonnèche, Justin Taylor & Lucile Boulanger — Destinées

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

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Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

Early music, a man's domain? Forget it. Female composers also had a razor-sharp pen! Violinist Sophie de Bardonnèche champions ten composers who have no voice in the chronicles. Well-known names like Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre appear alongside the enigmatic Mademoiselles Duval, Talon, and Blondeel. Together with gambist Lucile Boulanger and harpsichordist Justin Taylor, De Bardonnèche redraws the blueprint of the French Baroque. Available online from 1 May 2027 via www.emtv.online. Tip: also visit our free morning programme, The Early Music Breakfast Show, at 10:00 hrs at TivoliVredenburg, Het Gegeven Paard

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Oude Muziek Markt

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg)

Do richly decorated harpsichords make your heart beat faster? Or would you like to try your hand at the lute? Then the Festival Oude Muziek Markt in TivoliVredenburg is a must. Fifty exhibitors will be displaying their instruments, study materials and bins full of sheet music that you can search through to your heart's content. An overview of the exhibitors can be found on oudemuziek.nl/markt.

Aapo Häkkinen — The Playing Byrd 7: Byrd & J.S. Bach

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €21 – €23

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Lutherse Kerk)

Two keyboard masters, separated by two centuries. William Byrd and Johann Sebastian Bach wrote music rooted in tradition and growing in imagination. During this recital, Aapo Häkkinen explores their early and late oeuvres: from Byrd’s intimate pavans and fantasies to the unparalleled architectural artistry in Bach’s preludes and fugues. We follow Häkkinen’s train of thought along a path of keys, from Renaissance to Baroque and back again. Harpsichord: Boccalari 1699 Available online from 1 February 2027 via www.emtv.online.

Guide to Early Music — With Stef Grondelaers

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Instituto Cervantes)

Following an introduction by early music expert Stef Grondelaers, you will set off together to attend three concerts. During a convivial dinner together, there will be plenty of time to discuss your experiences in detail. 13:00 Introduction 15:00 Psallentes & Frits van Oostrom 17:00 Tenebrae Choir 18:00 Dinner 20:00 A Nocte Temporis & Chœur de Chambre de Namur Includes dinner and a voucher for a programme book. There are also guides on 29, 30 and 31 August, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 September. Click on a date for more information. Language: Dutch The guide contains a general introduction to the festival theme. It then goes on to discuss the specific concerts covered in this guide.

Utrecht Festival of Early Music – September 4

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:15:00 GMT

Tickets: €20

TivoliVredenburg Utrecht

We kick off the final festival weekend with violinist Sophie de Bardonnèche, gambist Lucile Boulanger, and harpsichordist Justin Taylor, showcasing music by female composers from the French Baroque. It is the second day of the Early Music Market, featuring instrument makers, sheet music publishers, music stores, and booksellers. In the afternoon, medievalist Frits van Oostrom will take the audience into the world of medieval mysticism and poetry. Not gentle prayers, but texts full of fire, longing, and ecstasy. In the evening, A Nocte Temporis & Chœur de Chambre de Namur present a spectacular Baroque music theatre with sizzling recitatives, captivating dances, and a descent into the underworld. You can find the complete festival schedule and tickets on the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht website.

ĀRT HOUSE 17 — Arlecchina: An Early Musical

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg / Blauwe Zaal)

Psallentes & Frits van Oostrom — Minne!

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Tickets

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg / Hertz)

She wrote verses for God. Not tame prayers, but texts full of fire, longing, and ecstasy. Around 1250, the Brabant mystic Hadewijch gave words to a love that drives the soul to extremes: minne, courtly love. Psallentes connects her songs with the visionary music of that other medieval heroine, Hildegard von Bingen. Medievalist Frits van Oostrom is our guide through a world of spirituality and poetry, in which language and song elevate each other to an encounter with the ineffable. With recitation in Dutch.

Maurits Bunt — Collage for Carillon

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €0

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Buurkerkhof)

Maurits Bunt isn't fazed by a key more or less: as organist, harpsichordist, and city carillonneur of Groningen, he is the ideal sparring partner for our hammer keyboard. We are gearing up for this sparkling collage of Baroque music, including François Couperin's playful Folies Françoises, Georg Friedrich Handel's gently rocking aria Süße Stille, the lyrical viola da gamba music of Marin Marais, and the monumental chaconne by Dieterich Buxtehude. Listening spot: Buurkerkhof

Tenebrae Choir — The Singing Byrd 5: Crown & Cross

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Tickets: €28 – €31

Organisatie Oude Muziek Utrecht (Domkerk)

Same composer, different space. For the court of Elizabeth I, William Byrd wrote music that didn’t need to be hidden: hymns, Easter music, and excerpts from the Divine Office that followed the rhythm of Anglican religious practice. Yet this repertoire bears the same signature of clear counterpoint and controlled intensity. Tenebrae – crystal-clear choral sound and precise phrasing: check! – demonstrates how Byrd switches between intimacy and projection without ever sacrificing sharpness. Also live on www.emtv.online.