Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

The Concertzender in April: from musical greats to lesser known gems

This month, many musical greats are featured on the Concertzender. From the Norwegian Grieg to our very own Spinvis, from the Kurdish Hozan Dino with his large fanbase to Ella Fitzgerald singing about happiness.

Of course, on the Concertzender you will also hear those lesser-known gems: a St John Passion that isn't by Bach, the live acts at the Roadburn festival. There is always something to discover, simply by tuning in to the Concertzender.

Happy listening!

Thursday April 2nd

Theme: Early

The St John Passion by Thomas Selle

On April 2nd, a St John Passion takes center stage in Missa Etcetera. The composer is Thomas Selle, who worked as a Kantor in Hamburg. He left behind an extensive oeuvre, which includes several Passions.

The St John Passion we are about to hear dates from 1643. It is a very different work from the Passions of the 18th century, such as those by Bach, which are frequently performed today.

The work is divided into six episodes. Three of these are settings of the text from the Gospel of John. The Evangelist recites the story, supported by two gambas. The words of Jesus are sung by a bass accompanied by two violins. This St John Passion is the first in history in which the story is interrupted by texts from outside the Gospel. This occurs in three so-called Intermedia.

Listen: Missa Etcetera, Thursday April 2nd, 22:00 – 23:00 CET.

Fridays April 3rd and 17th

Theme: World

Africa Live in the Netherlands

In April, we will broadcast two of our own recordings of special world music concerts. On April 3, this is the concert by The Zawose Queens from last summer at the renowned Afrika Festival in Hertme.

The Zawose Queens are Leah and Pendo, daughter and granddaughter of the legendary Dr. Hukwe Zawose, one of the greats of Gogo music. They carry on the rich musical traditions of the Tanzanian Wagogo people. With thanks to the Afrika Festival for the recordings.

Listen: Concertzender Live World, Friday April 3rd, 22:00 – 23:00 CET.

Two weeks later follows the concert given by the internationally beloved Kurdish singer Hozan Dino on January 25, 2026, at TivoliVredenburg. The singer performs music deeply rooted in the Kurdish musical tradition.

During the completely sold-out concert, the massive sing-along and chanting of the audience made it clear how strong the bond is between the Dino and his fans. His personal emotion and the collective experience of the audience made it a warm and poignant performance. Thanks to TivoliVredenburg for the recordings.

Listen: Concertzender Live World, Friday April 17th, 22:00 – 23:00 CET.

Saturday April 11th

Theme: Jazz

Shades of Blue bursting with low notes: the baritone guitar

In his programme Shades of Blue, programmer and blues guitarist John F. Klaver focuses on a special type of guitar: the baritone guitar.

Initially, this guitar was mainly used in the soundtracks of Western films, due to its deep, twangy sound – think Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Later, the baritone guitar also found its way into rock and metal. Nowadays, it is widely used in blues, roots, and indie, among others, as a versatile timbre with extra depth and body.

Listen: Shades of Blue, Saturday April 11th, 16:00 - 17:00 CET.

Saturday April 11th

Theme: Jazz

Palace of Nostalgia – on happiness

Sometimes you need a bit of luck to be happy, Aristotle believed. And according to Godfried Bomans, you only truly see happiness when it is gone.

On Saturday, April 11th, happiness takes centre stage in the Palace of Nostalgia — and the lack thereof. Programme maker Sjaak Roodenburg knows the ropes: happiness is fleeting, but with music it returns just as quickly.

Listen: Palace of Nostalgia, Saturday April 11th, 19:00 - 20:00 CET.

On demand

Theme: Crosslinks

Mr. Roadburn, Walter Hoeijmakers in X-Rated

Following the earlier Sonic Acts special and the more recent special about the Rewire festival, X-Rated had another special on Sunday 29 March. This one was about the Roadburn festival that takes place again soon.

As has been the case before, the man behind Roadburn, Walter Hoeijmakers, was in the studio to dive into the darkness of Roadburn together with Bob Rusche.

Darkness is what Roadburn is known for. An addition to Walter's stories, there was also plenty of room for music from the acts that will be performing at Roadburn in Tilburg from 16 - 19 April 2026.

Listen: X-Rated, broadcast Sunday March 29th.

photo: Bob Rusche and Walter Hoeijmakers in the Concertzender studio

Tuesday April 21st

Theme: Classical

The special friendship between Grieg and Röntgen

An Early Evening Stroll on April 21 features chamber music by Norwegian composers. For instance, you will hear a special performance of Grieg's F major quartet. When Grieg died in 1907, the first two movements were finished, but there were only sketches of the last two movements. His good friend Julius Röntgen completed the work.

Grieg and Röntgen He informed Nina Grieg about the first performance of the work at his home: “You should have been with us yesterday. We played the quartet. It is a strange feeling that Edvard never heard it himself. Our ensemble was very original: Harold Bauer, the great pianist, had the first violin part and played really well. Casals played second violin and held his instrument between his legs like a cello, I played viola and Mrs. Casals – excellently – played the cello, all four with the greatest enthusiasm, my wife as the only audience” (source).

In the programme you can listen to a performance by the Raphael quartet.

Listen: An Early Evening Stroll, Tuesday April 21st, 19:00 – 20:00 CET.

photo: Edvard Grieg, Percy Grainger, Nina Grieg and Julius Röntgen, Troldhaugen, 1907

On demand

Theme: World of Jazz | Pocket Concerts

Spinvis at the Concertzender / World of Jazz

This time, three remarkable artists were the guests in our own studio. Composer and singer Spinvis, cellist and singer Saartje van Camp and actor Hans Dagelet work together under the name Neveldieren.

Their music is difficult to describe; they combine music, poetry and stories in a wondrous and unsettling interplay.

Watch their performance here and immerse yourself in a world that is both intimate and mysterious.

Coming Soon

Theme: World of Jazz

Coming to World of Jazz: the Transition Festival 2026

On Saturday 28 March, TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht was the centre of the jazz world during the Transition Festival. Programme makers en technicians from World of Jazz (the jazz channel on the Concertzender) were in the Hertz en Cloud Nine halls to record the adventurous concerts and the unexpected confrontations.

We will be presenting these concert recordings in various programmes in the near future. Keep an eye on our guide for these unique recordings of:

Louis Sclavis: the French master of the bass clarinet (Hertz).
Jasper Høiby's 3Elements: powerful, dynamic grooves (Hertz).
Tyreek McDole: a rising star in the vocal jazz firmament (Cloud Nine).
Jasper Blom: as always, surprising compositions from this Dutchman (Cloud Nine).
Julius Rodriguez: the young American multi-instrumentalist who effortlessly combines musical genres (Hertz).
Fenix: a powerful and adventurous end tot he evening (Hertz).

Extra: a look behind the scenes
During the festival, Michael Varekamp – a versatile jack-of-all-trades in the jazz world and programmer at the Concertzender – interviewed many artists. This gives you a unique glimpse into their creative process.