Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) was founded in 1888 to mark the inauguration of the Amsterdam Concert Building. Since its 100th birthday in 1988, the RCO’s “royal” status has been included as part of its name; Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is its patroness. The first Principal Conductor was Willem Kees, who handed on the reins to Willem Mengelberg in 1895. Mengelberg shaped the orchestra through five decades and established its great Mahler tradition. Following World War II, Eduard van Beinum took over and was followed by Bernard Haitink (1961-1988), Riccardo Chailly (1988-2004), Mariss Jansons (2004-2015), and Daniele Gatti (2016-2018). Klaus Mäkelä is the designated Principal Conductor (starting in 2027) and since 2022 has enjoyed an association with the orchestra as Artistic Partner; Iván Fischer is Guest Conductor of Honor. Such famous composers as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss have conducted the orchestra. The RCO continues to collaborate regularly with contemporary composers. With more than 80 concerts in Amsterdam and about 40 performances on tours around the world, the orchestra reaches 250,000 classical music fans per season. Since 2004, it has released recordings on its own label, “RCO live,” in addition to streaming and broadcasts on radio and TV. Through the RCO Academy and RCO Young, its youth orchestra, which was founded in 2019, the orchestra is committed to supporting young musicians. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science; the City of Amsterdam; and sponsors, foundations, and patrons from around the world.

Lucerne Festival (IMF) debut on 3 September 1972 in a program of music by Stravinsky and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony under Bernard Haitink.

July 2023

Further information: www.concertgebouw.nl