Klaas de Vries, one of Holland's greatest composers, turned eighty last summer. And he has written a major new orchestral work that will be given its world premiere by the Residentie Orkest on March 21, 2025. Reason enough for Festival Dag in de Branding to honor De Vries with an extensive festive edition which he was invited to compose as guest curator.

Another great composer of our time is also celebrated in this edition: the Hungarian grandmaster György Kurtág. Together they account for nearly a century and a half of composing, giving this edition of Festival Dag in de Branding an exceptional depth of time. Just listen: you're never too old to learn, create, blush or be touched.

On Friday evening, March 21, the festival begins with works by both composers. The Residentie Orkest and students of the Royal Conservatory will play Kurtág's Stele in Amare and the world premiere of that new orchestral work by De Vries, titled Cada Instante. This work was made possible in part by Performing Arts Fund NL and Société Gavigniès.

On Saturday , there are five very diverse concerts, from chamber music by violinist Jellantsje de Vries (daughter of) and pianist Bobby Mitchell to the microtonal jazz of Sander Germanus & the Hallucinating Harmonists - a tip from Klaas de Vries himself. There is also a music-theatrical encounter between a juggler and a drummer in a truck and composer-in-residence Myrto Nizami presents her latest research. And Asko|Schönberg plays De Vries's magisterial Sub nocte per umbras.

The festival closes on Sunday in the Paleiskerk with an extensive program of music exclusively by Klaas de Vries and György Kurtág, including two youth works they wrote as teenagers and two world premieres. This unique event is organized by Festival Dag in de Branding in collaboration with Classical NOW!