Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Concertgebouw Orchestra (full name Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dutch Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ) is a symphony orchestra in Amsterdam. It is the most important orchestras in the Netherlands and is considered by many experts as the most important orchestras of the present.

It was founded in 1888, first chief conductor was Willem Kes. During the exceptionally long tenure of Willem Mengelberg it came to worldwide fame as one of the most virtuosic orchestra of the time. His successor Eduard van Beinum, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly and the current chief conductor Mariss Jansons could keep his importance among the world's best orchestras. A panel of editors from leading European music magazines chose it in 2006 to 2nd place all European orchestra. The British magazine Gramophone chose it in 2008 through a survey of music critics and got to number 1 of all orchestras in the world.

Behind the post of principal conductor there was the first approximately 75 years the first conductor ( Dutch: Eerste Conductor). Among them were Karl Muck (1921-1925), Pierre Monteux (1924-1934), Bruno Walter (1934-1939) and Eugen Jochum ( 1941-1943 ). Again behind it ranked the second conductor ( tweede Conductor), including Cornelis Dopper ( 1908-1931 ) and initially Eduard van Beinum ( 1931-1938 ). While Haitink's tenure, the system of the first and second conductor was abolished and replaced by assistant. These included Edo de Waart and Hans Vonk.

For the 100th anniversary in 1988, Queen Beatrix gave the orchestra the title Royal. The very round sound of the orchestra was and is essentially characterized by its venue and namesake, which opened in 1888 the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. The orchestra also plays occasionally at the Netherlands Opera, the leading opera house in the Netherlands.