The opening of De Doelen in May 1966 was the crowning achievement of Rotterdam’s post-war reconstruction. At last, the city had a musical heart again, and our orchestra had a home. We celebrate its 60th anniversary with Bruckner’s monumental Fifth Symphony. We also commissioned a new work from the young multitalent Thomas van Dun—praised by NRC for his “energetic pulse and sharp editing.” De Doelen may be a building, but it is always in motion.

At this anniversary concert, you will not only encounter striking new music, but be immersed in a spatial experience. With projections, light, smoke and colour, scenographer Frouke ten Velden transforms De Doelen’s Grand Hall into an evocative environment that merges seamlessly with the music.