Gouda is ready. Thursday, July 23 is the big day. That’s when the third Gouda Piano Festival kicks off. This time, it’s a one-day festival. Classical piano music can be enjoyed at various locations throughout the city. The program offers something for everyone—young and old, music lovers and non-music lovers alike. Some parts of the event are free to attend.
The festival kicks off at 10:00 a.m. in De Houtmansplantsoen with an “Early Bird” concert by pianist Mieke Verduijn, a concert in which birds take center stage musically. The program includes piano music by Grieg, Liszt, and Haydn, among others. At 11:30 a.m. in the same city park, the piano duo Beth & Flo will perform a program specially designed for children.
A Musical Tour of the City
Anyone taking a stroll through the city center might come across, among other things, a “Flying Grand Piano”—a moving grand piano with a pianist playing on top of it. The Flying Grand Piano is part of a “Piano Circuit” set up for amateur pianists, allowing them to perform their music at various locations, including the station piano and the Flying Grand Piano. For each participant, the musical tour ends at the grand piano in the music kiosk in De Houtmansplantsoen. In this way, every pianist gets to experience the unique “sensation of the location” for themselves.
Top Performers at St. John's
This year, the festival program is dedicating extra attention to top young talent. For example, there will be daytime masterclasses at the Sint-Jan, where young pianists will have the opportunity to perform with the Netherlands Youth Orchestra (JON). Among others, Jure Jurakic from Gouda will participate in this special masterclass. Jure aspires to a career as a pianist. He is considered an absolute top talent. The masterclasses are also open to the public. In addition to enjoying the music, a masterclass like this is also very educational—even for those who don’t play an instrument themselves. You get a “front-row seat” to see what it takes to be a top musician.
Unforgettable closing concert
On Thursday evening, the JON will perform the closing concert, together with the internationally renowned French star pianist Nathalia Milstein. Last year, Nathalia was a finalist in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels.
This is the first time the JON has performed in Gouda. The 95-member orchestra features young, highly talented musicians from all over the Netherlands. The concert in Gouda also marks the start of the youth orchestra’s summer tour. The tour will take them to cities in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany, and will conclude at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The program features Rachmaninoff’s magnificent Second Piano Concerto, Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, and the unique piece *Down the Rabbit-Hole* by Mayke Nas.
Sint-Jan Concert Tickets
Tickets for the closing concert and the master class are available on the website: www.pianofestivalgouda.nl. The exact start times and other relevant information can also be found there. Reduced admission rates apply for young people and students.
