Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Hosts Bernard Haitink Memorial Concert

Bernard Haitink was one of the most revered conductors of his generation, and served as the Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) for 27 years. He passed away on October 21, 2022, at age 92.

“After sharing a rich history spanning sixty-five years, we can rightly speak of the end of an era,” the RCO wrote on their website. “[RCO] owes much to Bernard Haitink and has decided to present an extra concert on Sunday evening 6 February, 2022, which will be dedicated to [his] memory.

The now sold-out concert at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw will be conducted by RCO’s honorary guest conductor, Iván Fischer. The program comprises Mahler’s First Symphony and a new work by British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, titled “A Cortege for Bernard Haitink.”

Haitink and Fischer greatly respected and admired each other and often attended one another’s concerts. “Bernard Haitink was a true conductor, in the sense that a conductor is an authority in the ethical, humane and artistic field, highly respected by those around him,” said Fischer in the Netherlands news. 

“The music world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam should be grateful to Bernard Haitink for guiding our cultural well-being with an unmistakable sense of judgement, taste and responsibility.”

Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands will also present at the concert and will speak with musicians and relatives of Haitink at its conclusion. 

To listen to the concert, a broadcast will be available on NPO Radio 4 on February 13 at 2 PM CET, and on NPO 2 on the same day at 7:20 PM CET.