Dutch Composer’s Day 2026 | In 15 cities, stations and on NS trains
Successful 6th edition
Dutch Composer’s Day 2026 was a success; the next edition will take place on 19 and 20 June 2027
The fifth edition of Dutch Composer’s Day, held on 20 and 21 June 2026, featured more than 100 concerts and activities across more than fifteen Dutch cities. For the first time, live music was performed on regular NS trains during the festival, and nine City Composers took centre stage with new city anthems. The festive closing event took place on Sunday 21 June at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, where the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra took part in the Dutch Composer’s Day for the first time with an evening of new Dutch music. During this closing night, the Buma Classical Awards were also presented to Joey Roukens and Huba de Graaff.
The programme and the live stream can be viewed at dagvandecomponist.nl. NPO Klassiek featured Dutch Composer’s Day in various programmes. Recordings of the concerts will be broadcast later this year by New Music NOW via various channels and platforms.
“We can look back on a highly successful edition of Dutch Composer’s Day, which is growing in popularity. Dutch Composer’s Day raises awareness of the importance of contemporary music and the people who create it. With their talent and dedication, composers enrich our musical lives. By celebrating this day, we recognise their talent and demonstrate just how versatile, relevant and inspiring their music is. Contemporary composers are at the heart of musical life,” said Esther Gottschalk, founder and director of New Music NOW and Dutch Composer’s Day.
Over 100 concerts in fifteen cities
Participating cities were Alkmaar, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Den Bosch, The Hague, Dordrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Maastricht, Purmerend, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht and Zwolle. Music by contemporary Dutch composers was performed at railway stations, in concert halls, theatres and public spaces by professional and amateur musicians, ensembles, choirs, conservatoires and music societies.
Music travelled with the Dutch Railways (NS)
A special innovation this year was the introduction of live music on regular the Dutch Railways trains (Nederlandse Spoorwegen). On 20 June, passengers on the Arnhem–Zwolle route were treated to new music by artists including Theo Loevendie, Kate Moore, Guillermo Lago and Monique Krüs, performed by top musicians on the moving train.
Among those performing on board were violist Michael Gieler of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Ardemus Saxophone Quartet, composer and soprano Monique Krüs, and violinist Martine Velthuis, winner of the Dutch Violin Competition. Camiel Jansen, Laureate Composer of the Netherlands, was also on board.
Unfortunately, the planned concerts between Zwolle and Groningen could not go ahead due to cancelled train services to Groningen.
NS Orchestra at Utrecht Central Station
In the central hall of Utrecht Central Station, the 70-strong Dutch Railways Orchestra, conducted by composer and conductor Léon Vliex, gave a well-attended concert. For over an hour, compositions and arrangements by Dutch composers were performed for a wide audience of travellers and visitors.
Nine City Composers
For the first time, the Day of the Composer featured a nationwide network of no fewer than nine City Composers: Setareh Nafisi (Groningen), Aart Strootman (Rotterdam), Stephanie Pan (The Hague), Huba de Graaff (Amsterdam), Diederik van der Laag (Utrecht), Kris Oelbrandt (Zwolle), Andries van Rossem (Arnhem), Nicoline Soeter (Tilburg) and Hans Leenders (Maastricht) each wrote a new city anthem as a musical tribute to their city.
The city songs premiered during public ‘Station Concerts’, performed by choirs and musicians from the region. In addition, the composers took the audience on a city tour, visiting performances and special locations in their city.
Live stream connected cities and composers
Throughout Dutch Composer’s Day, New Music NOW provided a continuous live stream, presented by programme maker and former Composer of the Netherlands Anne-Maartje Lemereis. From the studio at TivoliVredenburg, the broadcast switched live to composers, organisers and musicians in the participating cities. In addition, Lemereis welcomed guests to the studio, and there was plenty of time for interviews and reports on the city programmes. The livestream brought together the many activities taking place across the country and enabled a wide online audience to follow the festival. The broadcast can be watched again via New Music NOW’s channels.
Closing concert with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
The closing concert of the Dutch Composer’s Day took place in the Main Hall of TivoliVredenburg. Under the baton of conductor Markus Stenz, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra presented a full-length programme consisting exclusively of contemporary Dutch music.
The highlight was Joey Roukens’ violin concerto *Out of the Deep*, performed by the internationally acclaimed violinist Simone Lamsma. The programme also featured the world premiere of the orchestral version of *Burlesque on the Death of a Dictator* by the Ukrainian-Dutch composer Maxim Shalygin. There was also the Dutch premiere of *Blue Light Sphere* by Kate Moore, which had its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House in 2025.
Buma Classical Awards
During the closing night, the Buma Classical Awards were presented to Joey Roukens and Huba de Graaff. With these awards, BumaStemra honours composers who make a lasting contribution to the development of new classical music.
Roukens is acclaimed for his internationally performed body of work, including *In Unison*, Symphony No. 1 (*Kaleidoscopic*) and his recent violin concerto *Out of the Deep*. Huba de Graaff received the Buma Classical Lifetime Achievement Award for her innovative work at the intersection of opera, electronics and technology. With productions such as Apera, Pornopera and her recently premiered opera Qaqnas, she has carved out a unique position within the Dutch music scene.
Young Talent Winners of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Stipend
The closing concert also provided a platform for young compositional talent. Students from Dutch conservatoires wrote short compositions for orchestra, from which the audience and a panel of experts selected a winner.
Antonio Biancaniello (Utrecht Conservatoire) received the Friends of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Scholarship. The audience award went to Thijmen Krijgsman (Royal Conservatoire of The Hague).
Other highlights
Throughout the week, Composer’s Day was advertised on the screens in all NS trains across the country.
In Alkmaar, a Composers’ Marathon took place for the first time, featuring works by composers from North Holland.
The New Music Fund by New Music NOW was successfully launched and immediately received support from music lovers across the country.
Media coverage
Over a ten-day period, NPO Klassiek devoted extensive coverage to the Dutch Composer’s Day, featuring interviews, studio performances and listening recommendations in programmes by NTR Klassiek, AVROTROS and VPRO Vrije Geluiden. NOS News Radio on NPO 1’s *Met het Oog op Morgen*, various national and regional newspapers, podcasts and other media outlets also reported on the festival.
New Music NOW recorded the concerts on trains, at stations and at other venues, and will dedicate several programmes to the Dutch Composer’s Day later this year.
About the Dutch Composer’s Day
The annual Dutch Composer’s Day is a national festival organised by New Music NOW that celebrates and showcases the music of composers active in the Netherlands. Through concerts, workshops, presentations and surprise performances, the festival brings composers into direct contact with a wide audience.
Organisation
Dutch Composer’s Day is an initiative of New Music NOW and is organised in collaboration with TivoliVredenburg, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Gaudeamus, the Holland Festival, Muziekgebouw, de Doelen, Amare, November Music, Intro in Situ, De Link, Orkest De Ereprijs, Nieuw Geneco and many choirs, ensembles, conservatoires, music schools, publishers and producers.
Together, they present music by more than a hundred composers, performed by hundreds of musicians in more than fifteen cities.
Funding and partners
Dutch Composer’s Day 2026 was made possible in part by Buma Cultuur, het Cultuurfonds, Sena Performers Fonds, BerchHeemstede, Gemeente Rotterdam, Gemeente Utrecht, Gemeente Arnhem, Ondernemersfonds Arnhem, Gemeente Den Haag, gemeente Maastricht, Provincie Limburg, Gemeente Leeuwarden, Gemeente Zwolle, Victoriefonds, KF Heinfonds, Emmaplein Foundation, SK&L Fonds, Beringer Hazewinkel, De Schepper Delft stichting, Van Ommeren de Voogt stichting. Partners zijn de Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NPO Klassiek, NTR Klassiek, Avrotros, VPRO Vrije Geluiden, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, TivoliVredenburg, Gaudeamus, Nieuw Geneco en het New Music Network.
Save the date: the 6th Dutch Composers Day Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 juni 2027.
More info, aftermovie & photo’s: Dag van de Componist