October is the best month for enjoying autumn in Amsterdam and every cosy activity that comes with it. It’s the month of apple pies in a small corner cafe, hot chocolate, museums, boat rides and candle-lit dinners. And when it gets dark earlier, listening to music somewhere warm for a couple of hours becomes a great way to spend an evening. I recently found out about an event that fits this cosiness theme perfectly and it’s exactly that kind of evening: Piano Nights at The Concertgebouw.
Piano Nights is a series of intimate evenings where the piano takes centre stage in the beautifully lit Main Hall. These evenings are designed to be the perfect introduction to The Concertgebouw, and I’m sure many of the people coming here for the first time will come back for more. If you’ve never been to The Concertgebouw, this is a lovely first introduction to it. The building itself is majestic and worth a visit, so I can imagine how magical it would feel to be in the Main Hall under all those lights and with piano music surrounding you. The Main Hall’s acoustics are considered among the finest in the world, and it has an atmosphere all its own. Over the years, some of the greatest names in music were welcomed here: Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky conducted their own work in the Main Hall, and Sergei Rachmaninoff performed his own piano concertos.
The Piano Nights formula brings together two pianists, who play both solo and together, each bringing their own repertoire. You might hear the romantic music of composers such as Chopin, Satie or Debussy alongside neoclassical pieces by Ludovico Einaudi and Yann Tiersen, film music, or compositions written by the pianists themselves. The musicians also introduce some of the pieces on stage, giving you a little context around the music.
The November edition takes place on 19 November, from 20:15 – 21:45, and features Helena Basilova and Hannes Minnaar, two pianists with different backgrounds.
Helena works with musicians and artists from around the world, always looking for new ways to connect with her audience. She has a particular fondness for the music of Japanese (film) composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and she will perform several of his best-loved pieces, including a few alongside pianist Hannes Minnaar. A familiar name at The Concertgebouw, Hannes is known for his performances of some of the great piano concertos. For this evening, he has chosen a selection of popular classical works for piano.
The concert lasts 90 minutes and has no intermission. A drink before and after the concert is included in the ticket price, and you can stay for a while afterwards to chat. If you are not sure whether this night is for you, the Concertgebouw has a Piano Nights playlist on Spotify that gives you a glimpse.
A concert is a lovely way to spend an October evening. And if you have been meaning to see the inside of The Concertgebouw and never found the right occasion, this could be your way in.
The series continues on 19 May 2027 (line-up still to be announced).
This article was created in collaboration with The Concertgebouw. As always, I only recommend events I’d happily go to myself, and that I think you’ll enjoy too.
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