Het VU-Orkest neemt u mee op een heldhaftige reis!

Ein Heldenleben

In 1898, the now world-famous Ein Heldenleben was dedicated by Richard Strauss to the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Now, 125 years later, the VU Orchestra can perform this for you for the first time in the orchestra's history, in that same hall. In addition to this beautiful work, the VU Orchestra will play two pieces this year that have never been heard in the Netherlands before. The first piece is The Oak, composed by African-American composer Florence Price during World War II. Price was the first black female composer whose works were performed by major professional orchestras in her home country. The VU Orchestra will explore the dark and mysterious sides of the symphony orchestra in this orchestral essay in a Dutch premiere.

The second piece is David Earl's Clarinet Concerto. In 2013, the South African-British composer dedicated this piece to the South African solo clarinetist Maria du Toit, who premiered it under the baton of our own chief conductor Arjan Tien. A decade after the first performance, we are proud to present the European premiere of this concert, with Maria du Toit as soloist. It is a colorful concert, in which clarinet and orchestra complement each other seamlessly in beautiful dialogues.