Did you know that Richard Strauss’s music has been performed ever since the founding of the “ Residentie Orkest ”? Our founder, Henri Viotta, greatly admired him, and many of Strauss’s major works even had their Dutch premieres in The Hague, often quite soon after their world premieres.

It was therefore only natural that the German composer and conductor would eventually visit the royal capital. In November 1911, he was a guest for no fewer than ten days during a grand musical celebration in honor of his compositions. The composer conducted the operas, while the symphonic concerts were alternately conducted by Strauss and Viotta. In addition, Strauss performed as an accompanying pianist during a song recital. Musically speaking, it was a great success. Strauss had admiration and respect for the still-young “ Residentie Orkest ,” which, in his words, had performed such a large number of complex works so well in such a short time.

*Ein Heldenleben* was also performed, and Richard Strauss himself stood on the podium of the * Concert Hall * at the * Gebouw voor Kunsten & Wetenschappen*. Concertmaster André Spoor may have been the soloist that evening; in the 1920s, Sam Swaap would regularly fill that role. No review or photograph of that first performance is available. However, a photograph has survived from after the performance of *Der Rosenkavalier* the day before, in which Strauss can be seen, second from the right.