Queen of Tango
To the melancholic sounds of Astor Piazzolla's Adiós Nonino, a tear once rolled down Máxima's cheek. All of the Netherlands felt the soul of the tango at that moment. Twenty-five years later, Piazzolla's enchanting tango opera María de Buenos Aires returns to the Dutch stage, relevant as ever, in a brand-new production. The Netherlands Saxophone Octet was the first Dutch ensemble to receive permission from Piazzolla's heirs to rearrange this iconic work. The result: a thrilling cast of singers, actors, tango dancers, eight saxophones, bandoneon, piano, and percussion.
Maria de Buenos Aires tells the poignant story of the rise and fall of Maria, queen of the tango. The Duende, her creator, poetically brings her back to life as a resistance against a world in which only pleasure, power, and money seem to hold sway. Through Maria, this tango poet attempts to touch the soul of everyone. But where he sees inspiration, others sense mainly self-interest. When all boundaries are crossed, and Maria threatens to be destroyed by her passion, the Duende firmly draws a line.
Alongside the eight saxophonists mezzo-soprano and crowd-favorite Karin Strobos shines as the combative Maria de Buenos Aires, baritone and opera hero Berend Eijkhout as her vigilant male counterpart, and Freek den Hartogh as the idealistic Duende. And what would an inspired tango opera be without the bandoneon and dance? Maria de Buenos Aires therefore features the Argentinian musicians Santiago Cimadevilla (bandoneon), Juan Pablo Dobal (piano), and Marcos Baggioni (percussion), both of whom have had success in the Netherlands. The tango duo Ezequiel Paludi & Geraldine Rojas also impresses with their equally passionate and graceful dancing.
María de Buenos Aires is an eternal cyclical narrative of love and hate, passion and pain, life and death — an ode to the soul of the tango, to a life full of passion.
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Photo © Angela Schouten
Credits Cast & Crew
Prepublicity
Orpheus Magazine, Ruud Buurman, July 01, 2026
No life without Tango
Maria de Buenos Aires is no ordinary opera. It is a surreal narrative about a woman who is seduced and destroyed by the tango, continues to wander the city as a ghost, and ultimately gives birth to herself anew. But Maria is more than a character. She is the tango. Her life reflects the history of the tango: originating in poor neighborhoods, connected to nightlife, died and reborn as an art form.
Composer Astor Piazzolla and librettist Horace Ferrer wrote the piece out of frustration in the late 1960s. Passion had vanished from the tango. It had become a business model for the affluent bourgeoisie. Piazzolla breathed new life into it with longer compositions, different rhythms, and different instrumentation. His 'tango nuevo' made him world-famous, yet Maria de Buenos Aires received a lukewarm reception at its premiere in 1968.
You can transfer the entire theme of this piece to the present day. For Maria de Buenos Aires poignantly depicts the divide between rich and poor. This divide is extreme in Argentina, but it is starting to become so here as well. This opera conveys the message that music can unite all layers of a population.
Step into a musical time machine (4+)
Master of Ceremonies Cheyenne Toney is raring to dance, sing, and above all, swing! And where better to do that than in New Orleans, the city where jazz was born? But there is one problem… Her magical microphone has given out. And without that microphone, she cannot travel back to the sparkling 1920s of a hundred years ago. That is why she needs *our* musical help.
Will you join her on this musical journey through time? Because across the ocean, a real big band is already waiting for us: six absolute star players from the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. Come, take a leap in time to an era full of swing, rhythm, and jazz. The time when music flowed through the streets of New Orleans. Brace yourself, prick up your ears, grab your trumpet, and get ready to swing: Rat-a-tat-tat! New Orleans, here we come!
The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw consists of world-class Dutch jazz musicians. The JOC bears the name of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the only concert hall in the world that has a jazz orchestra associated with its name alongside a classical orchestra. The big band is among the best in Europe, has won multiple Edison Awards, and has previously collaborated with various jazz legends.
Credits Cast & Crew
In the Zoo (The City - Participatory concert 1)
Schnabeli, a cheerful little colorful bird, is looking for a friend. And where better to find one than in a zoo? But there are so many different animals there, and they all sing so differently. Until suddenly, Tschuppi appears. Tschuppi and Schnabeli decide they want to get to know each other better, but in a zoo, you are never alone. The sounds the animals make seem to come from all over the world. Not only when they sleep, but also when they eat and play. Wherever the birds want to land, it's chaos. Or could Tschuppi and Schnabeli turn it into a resounding animal orchestra?
In the spacious Upper Foyer of the Berlin Philharmonie's Chamber Music Hall, the space itself becomes a playmate. Here, laughter, dancing, clapping, and listening are all encouraged. The youngest guests have the best seats on comfortable cushions: right next to the stage, at the heart of the musical action. No words are needed. Two performers tell stories through dance and play, sparking the children's imaginations. Music becomes movement, movement becomes music. The musical quality is of the highest caliber. Members of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Karajan Academy unfold a dazzling soundscape and showcase the rich palette of orchestral instruments. Participation is expressly encouraged for the entire audience.
Image © Annechien Koerselman, with support from AI
Credits Cast & Crew
Dance Carley Marholin, Giordan Cruz
Musicians Members of the Berlin Philharmonic: Marie-Pierre Langlamet (Harp),
Concept, Script & Musical dramaturgy Annechien Koerselman
Stage direction Annechien Koerselman
Choreography Carley Marholin, Giordan Cruz
Costume- & Setdesign Julia Schnittger
Lightdesign Annechien Koerselman
Production manager Antonia Michalski
Management Musiceducation Katja Frei
Organisation Berlin Philharmonic Berlin (DE)
CALENDAR
Berlin (DE) Berliner Philharmonie November 14, 2026 10.00 & 11.30h
Berlin (DE) Berliner Philharmonie November 15, 2026 10.00 & 11.30h
Berlin (DE) Berliner Philharmonie November 16, 2026 09.30 & 11.30h
More information: Berliner Philharmoniker
sixteenth elephantastic children's concert
Red candles, gingerbread, Advent wreath and wonderful Christmas music – together with you and his friends André, Hase and Knolle, the elephant gets in the mood for the Christmas season.
Anke Engelke and André Gatzke have been discovering the world of music together with Elephant and Hase and the WDR Funkhausorchestra since 2011. From 2026 onwards, Elephant will continue to explore this wondrous world together with André Gatzke, Knolle and of course Hase. Each year they focus on a different sound theme, such as the musical animal melodies in the concert Something animalistic (Tierisch was los), classic party hits in Birthdayparty (Geburtstagparty), songs around the universe in Space, oceansounds Under Water, the musical and acrobatic world in the circus, travel melodies that lead into the Mountains and festive music for the elephant's 50th Birthday. Christmas is a theatrical concert for the little ones to marvel, listen and to participate.
llustration © WDR
Credits Cast & Crew
A hopeful fairy tale
Zafferano – a traveling salesman of spices and a troubadour – has been traveling through Italy for years. He is looking for a special place: a small village on a hidden bay. According to an old legend, people live there who sing to each other instead of talking. And Crostina bakes the most delicious bread in the world there. Almost no one knows where the village is. No one from outside the village has ever eaten the bread. And no one has ever heard the inhabitants sing. Until Zafferano arrives. His arrival changes everything in the village of Camini Nacrosti. The peace vanishes. The shells in the soup no longer open. Even the yeast for the bread goes flat. Nothing works according to the familiar recipe anymore. Now that hunger is knocking at the door, people start turning against one another. History seems to be repeating itself, until Nonna, Crostina's ancestor, intervenes...
The Hidden Bay is about change and its (social) consequences. What happens when everything becomes different from what you are used to? And what does that do to people and to a community? It is a musical fairy tale about change, fear, and trust. But above all, it is a comical chamberopera full of hope. Because sometimes the solution comes from someone you don't know at first.
Appeltaartconcerten aims to make classical music accessible to everyone. That is why the musicians play not only in concert halls, but also in community centers, neighborhood centers, theaters, churches, and nursing homes. The apple pie represents the atmosphere we want to offer: warm, relaxed, and safe. With The Hidden Bay, we are creating a performance where music and theater come together. A performance that allows you to slow down for a moment. That brings people together. And that creates space to listen to each other. Appeltaartconcerten organizes approximately 220 concerts and music theater performances every year in many different locations throughout the Netherlands.
Credits Cast & Crew
Musical journey from Berlin to Broadway, from classical to jazz
This surprising concert transports the listener to the music of Kurt Weill and his contemporaries, blending classical music, jazz, and cabaret, from Berlin to Hollywood and Broadway, featuring lyricists like Bertold Brecht, Ogden Nash, and Maxwell Anderson. Featuring beloved classics like "Alabama Song," "September Song," "Lost in the Stars," and Charlie Chaplin's nostalgic "Smile. The composers of these songs came from turbulent times, when some were forced to flee persecution and emigrate in search of a better life.
The Hague String Trio (Justyna Briefjes, Julia Dinerstein, and Miriam Kirby) will perform, featuring singer Lucy Woodward, double bassist and arranger Marijn van Prooijen, and drummer Vinsent Planjer. Annechien Koerselman will stage the concert, and Nina Kraszewska will be in charge as soundengineer. Lucy Woodward has previously worked with Rod Stewart and Snarky Puppy, among others, and performed with numerous international jazz ensembles. The Hague String Trio recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and is known for its multi-layered interplay and acclaimed CDs. Marijn van Prooijen and Vinsent Planjer bring their rich backgrounds in classical, world music, and jazz to the mix, creating a moving and virtuoso ensemble.
Photo © De Schaapjesfabriek
Credits Cast & Crew
Reviews
Blog Draai om je Oren, Monica Rijpma, February 23, 2026
Woodward's theatrical, sometimes cabaret-like style aligns seamlessly with the trio's approach, rooted in chamber music.
The audience at Paradox responded enthusiastically to the combination of Woodward's versatile voice and the warm sound of the ensemble. Well-known Weill classics such as 'September Song' and 'Speak Low' took on a chamber music glow that suited a program moving at the intersection of classical, jazz, and narrative music.
Woodward impressed with a dramatic performance that rivals Brecht interpreters such as Gisela May or Ute Lemper, but with the musicality of a jazz singer.
Prepublicity
musictheater for the young and old (6+)
Premiere May 29, 2010, Concertgebouw Amsterdam
The five men of Calefax are working in a pipe factory. Every day they do the same work and it seems just fine. The panic is huge when one day no more orders are coming in anymore. The men decide to experiment with the pipes and create the strangest instruments, which also happen to sound very nice! The orders are pouring in again and the Music Factory is a fact.
In 2012 The Musicfactory won the Junge Ohren Preis. Since then this performance in which music is the only spoken language spoken travels around the world. From China to South America. From North America to Europe.
Photo © Ronald Knapp
Credits Cast & Crew
Reviews
NRC Handelsblad, Jochem Valkenburg, December 28, 2010
Playing on PVC pipes as if they were little panflutes. "Hey, beautiful music!", shouts a girl in the hall when the five in overall dresses factoryworkers make a great discovery on stage. It turns out that they can play on the pvc pipes which they work with as panflutes, each one or two notes, but all combined a complete piece of music. It is one of the many enchanting moments in this merry music performance The Musicfactory by Calefax Reed Quintet. In the beginning diligently and in a tight rhythm the five built crazy tubeconstruction. Along the way they discover the music, at first while improvising on tools and materials, later on their real instruments.
The children's performance for children from six is perfectly drawn up. No word is spoken, but the five musicians turn out to be talented mimes, which in gesture and music can tell a humorous and touching story about social relationships. The saxophonist of the group plays a stubborn dandy, the rest try to tame by playing. Meanwhile, music from Bach to contemporary sounds, which is played equally sparkling as virtuoso. The end is a good example of cultural entrepreneurship: the musicians connect the instruments to a device out of which cd's unroll. For 10 euros each, they sell fast.
De Telegraaf, Frederike Berntsen, December 09, 2010
The prestigious German Junge Ohren Preis 2012 (JOP!) Best Practice – Concert for the best youth musical performances, was assigned to The Musicfactory, a coproduction of Oorkaan and Calefax Reed Quintet!
Jury report Junge Ohren Award, Hamburg, November 16, 2012
Best Practice, Concert: Winner is the Project „Musikfabrik“. (Original: De Muziekfabriek), a production by Oorkaan in cooperation with the Calefax Reed Quintet, Amsterdam
Der Preis für das überzeugendste Musikvermittlungsprojekt für junges Publikum im Bereich Konzert geht an das Projekt Die Musikfabrik des Produktionshauses Oorkaan. Musikfabrik gibt en passant einen faszinierenden und spritzig präsentierten Blick in die Geschichte, Bauweise und Spieltechnik der Holzblasinstrumente und in musikalische Kommunikationsformen. Die Strukturen der eingebundenen Kompositionen und Musikstile werden nonverbal in einer spannenden Bühnenhandlung für Kinder erfahrbar gemacht. Das Projekt regt zum Staunen und Experimentieren an und ist darin modellhaft.
The Music Factory as newsitem on the Chinese National Television (May 8, 2013)