Festival - HearAndNow

HEAR AND NOW

A chamber music festival in Amsterdam where new music and well-known masterpieces are played side by side

HearAndNow is a young chamber music festival in Amsterdam where you experience music up close. In the atmospheric setting of festival locations Het Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Felix Meritis, Het Orgelpark and Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, we invite you to listen and discover.

During the festival, new compositions and familiar repertoire are performed side by side. We present new written music in an accessible way. World class musicians come together and share their enthusiasm for new music and classical masterpieces with the audience. This creates an open and inviting atmosphere in which curiosity takes center stage.

HearAndNow is adventurous and accessible at the same time. In addition to concerts featuring new music and premieres, we also make sure to present a variety of concerts for both young and experienced listeners. A concert with film, a family concert and much more.

‘I believe that new music only truly comes to life when you experience it together, live, in the concert hall.’

Emma Roijackers, artistic director

Edition 2027

HearAndNow will celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2027, and we’re going to celebrate it in style. This year’s festival is packed with new events, venues, and collaborations. Tickets are now on sale.

Wednesday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027.

With the theme ‘Nothing Is What It Seems,’ the festival is focusing on surprise for this edition. The concerts feature a wide range of musical styles, new venues, and unexpected instruments.

The music of composer György Ligeti serves as the conceptual starting point for this project. His work lies at the intersection of music, rhythm, film, and experimentation, and thus aligns well with HearAndNow’s ambition to offer a new way of experiencing classical music.

Ligeti was one of the greatest innovators in 20th-century music. Not only did he inspire musicians and composers, but well-known filmmakers have also used his music—such as Stanley Kubrick in his film *2001: A Space Odyssey*. That versatility aligns well with the direction HearAndNow has been exploring more and more in recent years.