Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

The Concertzender in February: daily energisers, musical tombeaux, concert recordings from TivoliVredenburg and much more

In the shortest month of the year, the Concertzender is bringing a wealth of unknown and rarely heard music above water. And that's exactly why you listen to the Concertzender!

From unknown composers from long ago to new music by emerging artists. A special highlight is that we've programmed Marijke Ferguson's music essays again starting this month.

On demand

Theme: Cultural Interfaces

Once again on another adventure with Marijke Ferguson

Marijke Ferguson was a pioneer par excellence, who enriched Dutch music life immensely with all her various projects. She produced programs for the Concertzender for many years.

After her death in November 2024 at the age of 97, we revisited her rich program oeuvre and learned that it has certainly not lost its relevance. Programme maker Rudy Meijer has compiled a selection of the best episodes. These can be heard every first Sunday of the month.

Bask in the infinite knowledge and love with which Marijke always created her programmes.

Listen: Radio Music Essay, broadcast Sunday 1 February.

On demand

Theme: Crosslinks

Cape Gonzo on repeat

The editors of Gonzo Circus magazine produce a bimonthly broadcast featuring the music featured in their magazine. This way, listeners and readers who share a passion for music, art, and more can connect.

In this year's first episode, you'll hear the artists who repeatedly voted for the editors in their 2025 annual lists. Due to a technical error at the original time, you may have missed the broadcast. Here's your chance to listen to it!

Listen: Cape Gonzo, broadcast Wednesay 28 January.

Wednesday 11 February

Theme: Contemporary

Remembering the Deceased

In the upcoming episode of The Last Century, programme maker Niklaas Hoekstra focuses on the idea of the musical tombeau: a memorial piece in memory of a deceased person.

Maurice Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is a piano suite he worked on around World War I and completed in 1917 after his voluntary service. He dedicated each movement to a fallen friend.

Music by composers who, in turn, wrote a Tombeau de Ravel will then be performed. A tribute to Ravel himself. You'll hear works by Australian composer Arthur Benjamin, the triptych by Flemish composer Piet Swerts, and Le Tombeau de Ravel by Dutch composer Rudolf Escher, inspired by a visit to Ravel's house in Monfort-l'Amaury. The episode concludes with Ravel's own orchestral version of Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Listen: The Last Century, Wednesday 11 February, 19:00 - 20:00 CET.

On demand

Theme: World

Global and Roots music from Utrecht

The Concertzender has a special realationship with the TivoliVredenburg concert hall in Utrecht – together we've selected a series of concert recordings that TivoliVredenburg itself has made and that we will broadcast on Concertzender Live.

We're thrilled about this. In addition to classical music, jazz, and pop, this Utrecht venue also offers a wonderful and extensive selection of both global and roots music. This month, we broadcast the concert that American singer-songwriter John Gorka gave in TivoliVredenburg at the end of November 2025. The recordings are from TivoliVredenburg (mixed by Concertzender technician Wijnand de Groot).

You'll soon find more TivoliVredenburg concerts on our channel, including concerts by the Dutch-Indonesian supergroup Nusantara Beat and the unique music project De Niemanders.

Listen: Concertzender Live World, broadcast Friday 16 January.

Daily

Theme: World of Jazz

Need an energiser?

Feeling low on energy in the final month of the winter? Programme maker Chris Hull offers you a daily energiser, with the pulsating beats and virtuoso solos of jazz-rock, fusion and contemporary crossover.

Get moving and get your blood pumping! Tune in to Cross Currents, every day, alternating between 15:00 CET and 16:00 CET.

Listen: Cross Currents, broadcast Sunday 1 February.

Thursday 5 February

Theme: Early

Unjustly Unknown

Ever heard of the composer Valentin Bakfark? Neither had we, until our programme maker Beatrijs Vissers came across his music.

This Hungarian/Romanian lutenist and composer turned out to have written beautiful music for the lute. Bakfark died in 1576, 450 years ago. Reason enough to broadcast his lute music on Documento, performed on two lutes and also on viola da gambas.

A hundred years later, in 1676, Francesco Cavalli died. At a young age, he had been a singer in Claudio Monteverdi's church choir in Venice and became his most important student. The programme includes the beautiful Magnificat and an instrumental Canzona from Cavalli, 350 years after his death.

Listen: Documento, Thursday 5 February, 21:00 - 22:00 CET.