This month the New York Philharmonic was supposed to have embarked on its 2020 European tour and performed in Amsterdam as the first American orchestra in the history of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw’s 100-year-old Mahler Festival. Music Director Jaap van Zweden and his wife, Aaltje, would have proudly taken the Orchestra of Amsterdam Avenue around their hometown, sharing the picturesque canals and stroopwafels.
As it happens, the New York Philharmonic’s friendship with Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra dates back a century and involves a party train. In honor of this enduring friendship, we present this Love Letter to Amsterdam (above) and this video postcard from the van Zwedens. Enjoy! Geniet!
