"Especially versatile. That's how general and artistic director Sven Arne Tepl sums up the upcoming season. 'The Residentie Orkest has really landed at Amare, that wonderful venue where we can share all those beautiful and exciting moments with the audience.'

'Don't ask me about the highlights of the season,' he sighs. 'Every program is made with love and attention to tell a story, to really give people something to experience. You don't choose between your children.'

Still, plenty of specifics come along that Sven is eager to explain. 'Everything that Residentie Orkest stands for is covered this season,' he says by way of introduction. 'Major works, new pieces, also by Dutch composers, talent development. Take our new projects Side by Side, in which the orchestra together with students of the conservatory will perform Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony and Cada Instante, a new work by Klaas de Vries. I am looking forward to the dynamics between the students and the orchestra members. Moreover, Klaas' piece calls for the largest lineup we have had on the stage at Amare so far.

Chemistry

But Sven also says the other conductors and the very diverse army of soloists are not to be missed. "We build on conductors and soloists who have chemistry with the orchestra and the audience. We already have a great conducting team with Anja Bihlmaier, who is entering her Last season, and Richard Egarr and Jun Märkl as permanent guest conductors and future principals. Joining them now is emerging artist in residence Chloe Rooke. We had already worked with her a number of times and were eager to follow that up.'

An emerging artist is someone who makes the flight from education to career. 'That suits Chloe perfectly. Moreover, she is a rock-solid conductor and interested in everything the orchestra does. So she will also go out into the districts of The Hague with our musicians.'

Social activities

The orchestra thereby co-sponsors the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. 'The municipality provides subsidies 'on behalf of the people of The Hague,' Sven says of the orchestra's social activities. 'We are the city's orchestra. That's why we also want to be there for people who don't come to our hall. Being able to be of significance in this way adds value, and as a musician you take that back into the hall. An Alpine symphony or a piano concerto is not a painting that a restorer is working on. It is music played by musicians who at that moment give meaning to the notes for the people of today. It has to be done from the silence of the hall all over again every time. That is exactly what makes a live concert so exciting and meaningful.