What does homeland actually mean? Is it the place you come from, or the place you feel connected to? In this video, chief conductor Jun Märkl explains how The Hague and the Residentie Orkest have become a second home Residentie Orkest him. He talks about living and working in the city, making music in the heart of The Hague, and the role of the Residentie Orkest a place for encounters, education, and shared experiences.

His words closely echo Bedřich Smetana's Má vlast ('My Fatherland'): a musical portrait of landscape, identity, and connection. This work will be performed on February 6 and 8, 2026, at Amare, during the Smetana & Schulhoff concert.