On Sunday, March 16, student orchestra QHarmony and Philharmonie Gelre invite you to a special collaboration concert! Two orchestras join forces for a diverse program filled with beautiful and surprising music. We hope to see you for a wonderful and musical afternoon!
The concert begins with QHarmony, the largest and most vibrant student orchestra in Nijmegen. For the orchestra, this afternoon revolves around Three City Sketches, a captivating three-part piece performed in preparation for the Open Dutch Harmony Orchestra Competition (ONHK). In the first movement, you embark on a musical journey aboard a steam train, inspired by the construction of the railway between Den Helder, Haarlem, and Alkmaar in the 19th century. The second movement features a trumpet solo, written in memory of Thea Hollander, a trumpeter who unexpectedly passed away during a rehearsal. The third movement brings dramatic tones to life, depicting a turning point in the Eighty Years’ War. Additionally, QHarmony will perform Musical Haiku #14: Never Forgotten and take you on an imaginative journey with A Lenda da Celinda. According to legend, Celinda fought off the Romans using a frying pan filled with boiling oil, which she hurled down from her castle. Finally, the orchestra will play the second movement of Symphonic Dances, an intriguing tango that embodies the passion and tension of this dance.
After the intermission, Philharmonie Gelre will make the audience float and dance. Austrian composer Thomas Doss was inspired by the beauty of the stars, but even more by the great mysteries of the universe. His musical interpretation resulted in Sidus, an awe-inspiring work from 2002. At times serene and mysterious, and at others intense and powerful, this piece allows you to travel through the cosmos—no astronaut suit required. Philharmonie Gelre will take you there. In stark contrast is Danzón No. 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. Introduced by a slow and sensual clarinet solo (Angela Kreeftmeijer), the piece quickly becomes impossible to sit still to, thanks to its exhilarating rhythms and South American passion. The trumpet solo in Danzón No. 2 will be performed by Anne-Wil Oppelaar, a former musician of QHarmony. The program also features a journey to New York with Bernstein’s Wonderful Town, a seductive tango with María de Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla, and Hercab by Trovesi. Originally composed for a jazz band in a Dixieland style, Hercab will be performed with soloists on saxophone, sousaphone, and washboard—an irresistibly cheerful finale! Guest orchestra Philharmonie Gelre is a large, versatile, and lively symphonic wind orchestra based in Arnhem-Zuid. Its members come from across the region, including a number of musicians from Nijmegen who attend the weekly Thursday evening rehearsals. Since November 2024, the orchestra has been under the direction of conductor Tijmen Botma.
📅 Date: March 16
🕞 Doors open: 1:30 PM (concert starts at 2:00 PM)
📍 Location: Theater Hall C, Elinor Ostrom Building (Heyendaalseweg 141, Nijmegen)
🎟 Ticket prices: €6.50 for students and friends, €8.50 for non-students
Tickets can be ordered via this link.