Liesbeth Pezie-Baan has lived in The Hague since 1970 and is a loyal visitor to the Residentie Orkest. Out of love for art and culture, she included the orchestra in her will in 2016. With her legacy, Liesbeth hopes to contribute to the musical experience of future generations. "Music is an indispensable enrichment.

The Residentie Orkest has been committed to conveying the power of music for more than a century. For just as long, music lovers have supported the orchestra in this mission, including through legacies. In this way, a legacy contributes in a meaningful way to the musical experience of today and tomorrow.

'An awful lot of tickets'

Liesbeth has been going to classical concerts since she was young. "When I was twelve or thirteen, good friends would sometimes give us a ticket and I would be allowed to go. And she never stopped going. During her student days she regularly went to concerts; when she moved to The Hague with her husband, she took him to Residentie Orkest for the first time. Since then she has been a familiar face and has seen the orchestra play in various venues and under different conductors.

When Liesbeth got her first job, she decided to support the orchestra financially. These days she lives near Amare, where she can be found at least twice a month. "I have a staggering amount of tickets in my drawer and regularly drag people to concerts.

'Too many memories to list'

After all these years, Liesbeth has countless fond memories of the orchestra. One of the highlights was pianist Grigory Sokolov's concert, which touched her deeply. She especially enjoyed her meeting with chief conductor Anja Bihlmaier. 'A breath of fresh air,' Liesbeth thinks. 'She gets the best out of the orchestra with her enthusiastic and charming leadership.' She also appreciates Sven Arne Tepl, artistic director. 'He always gives clear explanations about the music.' It is special moments like these and behind-the-scenes glimpses that make her connection with the orchestra special.

The opening of the Dr. Anton Philips Hall in 1987 was also a memorable moment, as was the arrival of cultural house Amare in the fall of 2021. 'Donors were given a tour, and I was extremely curious about the new building. When it was still under construction, I had my doubts, but now I love it. Only later did I notice that the architecture even incorporates tuning forks!

'Not just gray heads in the room'

As a committed donor, Liesbeth is regularly invited to events. For example, she recently attended a concert at an elementary school, where the orchestra introduced classical music to children who often have little exposure to it at home. With accessible pieces by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven, young children are thus introduced to this form of music in a playful way. I thought it was great to see. Not just gray heads in the hall, but also enthusiastic children and family members. That really did me good.'

'Spend the money where it's needed'

After the death of her husband, Liesbeth decided to make her will. In addition to her family, she wanted to support charities close to her heart: culture, science, nature and people. Thus, among other things, she included the Residentie Orkest in her legacy. What the money is spent on, she left to the orchestra. "That's up to them. For me, it's about ensuring that people can continue to enjoy music. I hope that my contribution is put to use where it is needed most.'

'Culture is not just for the upper ten'

Liesbeth notes that the older generation fills the concert halls easily, but "it's hard to get the next generation in. She once counted how many children were in the - full - Concert Hall : ten. Liesbeth believes everyone should be able to enjoy music and applauds the orchestra's commitment to promoting diversity in every way possible. 'Some people think that culture is only for the upper ten. What a silly reasoning. It's for everyone.