We are very happy with our new concertmaster Julie Chen.

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Julie auditioned for the vacant position of concert master and, thanks to her beautiful playing, was unanimously nominated by the audition committee and artistic committee. We are confident that we will have a good season under her leadership!

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The fourth edition of the Muze van Zuid music festival took place in Amsterdam on 17, 18 and 19 September 2021. During this festival, members of our orchestra played with great enthusiasm in a number of chamber music ensembles in living rooms in Amsterdam South. In the months before, they were coached by both our own conductor Jacob Slagter and professional festival musicians. That brought them to the heights of their abilities.

String quartets and a piano trio were performed in houses on Van Breestraat and Huis van de Wijk Lydia on Roelof Hartplein. Jeroen Goedkoop, one of the orchestra's cellists, discovered the storyteller within himself and led the audience like an accomplished Pied Piper from Hamelin through the streets of South to the three concerts .

Samen/uit/thuis is a selfless initiative to connect artists directly with their audience. Via the website together/uit/home it is possible for every music and theater lover to organize a concert or performance. This can be done, for example, together with your neighbors in the street or together with some friends in the courtyard or the clubhouse.

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The idea arose during corona times. The time when stages and concert halls closed their doors and artists and audiences were deprived of live performances.

Together/out/at home is a wonderful initiative by our bassoonist Ludian Schaling, in collaboration with graphic designer Herman Rienstra and mezzo-soprano Cora Burggraaf .

To our great sadness, Alexander Vakoulsky passed away on July 11, 2019. He was our chief conductor from 1987 to 2009. During those 23 years he has had an enormous influence on the success and musical achievements of the Orchestra. In addition, he was a warm friend to many with whom joys and sorrows were shared.

Vakoulsky came from the rich Russian music tradition. He worked with major orchestras such as the Russian National State Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. He distinguished himself as a conductor because he always focused on what the music should say. That went far beyond phrasing or mood indications. Not a single note was just a note, but had a meaning. At its core, it was always about people and emotions. He managed to convey this during the rehearsals with particularly striking imagery in a heavy Russian accent: 'Must sound like monks reading a book', 'Must play with a tie', 'This is a tear running down my cheek'. This sprang from a special musical brain. It made working with him intense and unforgettable.

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We owe a lot to him.