General Manager Katrien Van Eeckhoutte about season 2024/25

One earth orbit of the sun ago, in my introduction to our previous season’s brochure, I talked about 'the seed of a five-year cycle, geared to human life and evolving with the seasons'. Back then we started with a wintery white page, fresh and waiting for birth and creation. In the meantime, spring is beckoning, a time of transformation. Allow me to open this Concertgebouw Spring with rain. Not a March squall or an April shower, but a healthy downpour that freshens the air and invites us to dance. For me, this new season is like Rain – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s iconic performance – and here is why:

Rain relies on repetition and variation. Even in a season that focusses on growth and coming of age, we still want to balance what is new against what was. In an ever-changing world, anchor points are essential. With landmarks such as December Dance, Bach Academy Bruges and our resident artists to keep us on course, we and you can confidently dare to explore uncharted waters: unique seasonal festivals, for instance, or a fresh crop of Makers.

‘Rain is a group dance in which the dancers’ individual lines remain clearly articulated.’
The Concertgebouw is a venue of and for people. A successful performance – from the embryonic idea to the final applause – is moulded and carried by many hands. That there is a photo of every member of our permanent team in this brochure is no coincidence. Bravo also to the hands of our volunteers and freelancers. We may operate as a group, but each of us is dancing our own individual and indispensable line.

‘Rain is pervaded with an irrepressible energy that binds them together, like a bustling network.’
You have undoubtedly already felt it: the vibrant energy that permeates a concert hall. That interaction between performers and audience – but also among the performers and audience members themselves – is a force of nature. It hits you like a heavy rainstorm. It is celebrated with thundering handclaps or sacred silence, with a look of recognition or a glass or two in the Concertgebouw café. A feeling of comradeship develops between the dancers of Rain, just as a unique comradely bond also grows between our employees, artists, audiences and partners. Friendship as a Key to a warm and welcoming Concertgebouw.

‘In Rain it ranges from skin-coloured to pale pink and from deep pink to intense magenta.’
Find and explore your own Concertgebouw. A family performance in flamingo pink, dance in soft pastels, a neon-coloured symphony… you determine your own palette. With guiding labels for every performance, we try to get you quickly (or maybe via a surprising detour) to your (perhaps unsuspected) destination. We too are also always exploring new avenues and enriching insights. With youthful eagerness and open-mindedness, we look for planners who can enhance our coloration with complementary shades.

Are the references to Rain a little remote for you? Then I have some excellent news: the long-range forecast predicts Rain on 23 and 24 October, right above our Concert Hall. Take it from me: this rain is a blessing. Whatever your barometer indicates for the coming season, I am hoping that it sends you to us for a bit of sunshine when you are experiencing too many clouds, for clear skies when you are in a fog, or for a refreshing breeze when you feel yourself in danger of overheating.

Katrien Van Eeckhoutte
General Manager

Quotes taken from an interview with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker by Michaël Bellon.