Katrien Van Eeckhoutte about 2026/27

‘A person or an arts centre is never too old to keep dreaming. Through our many windows, we look out with longing toward what lies ahead, while cherishing what was, what is, and what remains.’ When asked what her role as a ‘Maker’ at the Concertgebouw means to her, musician Anna Danilevskaia replied that it was ‘the gift of time’. And that it was precisely that gift that ‘opened windows that would otherwise remain closed’. To me, her answer touches on the very essence of what the Concertgebouw is and does, and has been doing for almost a quarter of a century now!

The gift of time
This season focuses on time, which is becoming scarcer and, as a result, an increasingly precious commodity. The fact that we can ‘suspend’ time here for many people remains a wonderful feeling. Artists can take their time during rehearsals, experiments, creative moments, masterclasses, residencies or sparring sessions with our artistic team or our audience. For that audience, all sense of time disappears in the connection felt during a sacred silence in the auditorium or in the release of a standing ovation. Generations become one as dance and music form the hands of the clock. 

How wonderful it is for me personally to see these different generations pouring in here in all sorts of constellations. I see our earliest visitors passing on their love of culture to those who come after them. Our artistic and educational programme therefore has the power and scope to bring generations together, yet also to treat them individually.

Telling time
The fact that we can see generations being ‘made’ at the Concertgebouw means that we, too, are inevitably growing older. In 2027, there will be 25 candles on our cake. We’re still very young, but it’s already a substantial cake (which we’d love to share with you!). I’ve had the great privilege not only of witnessing the birth of our arts centre but also of seeing the newborn grow up and flourish. From the very start, the child had a distinct artistic profile; at the time, a risk, but – as time has shown – above all a blessing. Did we never veer off course, never take a questionable turn? Of course we did, but that too is what time does: it allows you to course-correct, reflect, and trust that original compass.

Bringing that child to maturity and ‘wisdom’ is something we have done and continue to do with an entire ‘village’: a passionate team of staff, an audience ranging from passers-by to Friends or Keys members, and partners who have often been following our path and guiding us for a very long time. For the family photo on our anniversary – 20 February 2027 – we will undoubtedly need a drone to get everyone in the frame.

Open those windows
So we’ve already covered quite a few miles, but rather than looking in the rear-view mirror, we prefer to gaze through the wide windscreen. Windows open for fresh ideas! A crossover between music and visual arts, for example, together with the brand-new BRUSK arts centre in the heart of our centuries-old yet ever-vibrant city. 

Incidentally, our open windows may well be ‘framed’ in the coming years by a new, solar-powered building envelope. Bruges, Flanders and Europe honour our commitment to sustainability and fully support our innovative spirit. We saw confirmation that our audience is happy with ‘what is’ in our audience survey, where we even achieved an exceptional satisfaction score of 91 for our artistic programme. At the same time, we know this: a person or an arts centre is never too old to keep dreaming. Through our many windows, we look out with longing toward what lies ahead, while cherishing what was, what is, and what remains.

Katrien Van Eeckhoutte
General Director