Holland Festival 2026 kicks off in style with a walk through the city

The Netherlands and more specifically, Amsterdam loves a festival. Holland Festival, now in its 79^th edition is one of two music/cultural festivals which will grace Amsterdam stages this June. Wednesday’s opening concert featuring the Vlaanderen Symphony Orchestra (VSO) under Martijn Dendievel, invited audience members to step into Huang Ruo’s City of Floating Sounds. Billed as a musical experience that begins in the city and ends at the Royal Theatre Carré, music first experienced via our smartphones set the tone.

Walking through the city

With apps at the ready and donning suitable walking gear for the slightly mizzly Amsterdam weather, audience members gathered in various locations across the city. My group departed from a park opposite the Artis (Amsterdam’s Zoo); the idea was to thread our way through the city whilst listening to various threads of the work.

Walking with other audience members was a lovely way to start the evening.

Where things went slightly awry was that despite turning our phone volume up to max (as instructed) the only time we could actually hear music from another phone was when standing in very close proximity to each other such as waiting to cross the road or queuing to enter the theatre. The second issue was that instead of being presented with a work full of multiple threads, Ruo’s texture was really quite simple and lacked the promised complexity. Only at the theatre did my group encounter a third, higher line.

In the Carré

Once seated, and with the Vlaanderen Symphony both on stage and dotted around, music full of long sustained sounds summoned a city emerging out of the morning’s misty hue. Initially oscillating around just two notes, all was very serene and definitely music to cure even the most extreme case of insomnia.

Bravo then to the Flemish musicians under Hilversum-based Dendievel for navigating Ruo’s score which reads not like the composition of a former Concertgebouw Composer-in Residence (2015-6) and current Julliard School composition teacher, but more like a technical exercise completed by high school student. No rests (until the very final bars), no performance indications, and limited understanding of writing for different instruments of the orchestra, especially brass, left the performance heavily reliant on the musicianship of those on stage. Building to an almighty climax over an indulgent 40 minutes, it was at least twice as long as perhaps desirable, with some audience members leaving after just 20 minutes.

The Belgian orchestra should therefore be commended for not only stepping in and accepting the gig when no other Dutch orchestra was available, but for their immense concentration and ensemble skills. Perhaps images of a ‘floating city’ might actually have enhanced the performance and given a welcome layer of interest.

Taking to the stage, Holland Festival director Emily Ansenk explained this year’s theme, referencing a quote from this season’s Associate Artist, Hildur Guonadóttir’s: ‘by truly listening to the sounds around us, we must first be silent within ourselves’. American avant-garde, multi-media artist Laurie Anderson to follow found her own inner silence and rocked the joint. Her body percussion, violin riffs (accompanied by Ed Sheeran-like loops) and wise words were very warmly received.

Who is Laurie Anderson?

Shattered Steps

Ruo’s Shattered Steps was a much darker offering, channelling a raucous night-time New York, rather than the more refined Amsterdam. As had been the case earlier, Dendievel highlighted every implicit nuance, creating a colourful palette of ever-changing sonic landscapes. Huo’s Chinese folk-rock: ‘a series of steps that do not belong to anyone’ featured lots of attractive pitch bending and portamento. But it was his vocal improvisations both to start and conclude which brought the evening to an explosive conclusion.

Much to look forward to in the weeks ahead.