Alternative program in collaboration with NTR and NPO Radio 4 on Sunday, 30th and Monday 31st January.
Because there is no prospect of sufficient relaxation of the corona measures in the short term, the organization of the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam feels compelled to cancel the third edition of the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam. The festival was to take place from 29th January to 5th February.
Festival director Yasmin Hilberdink: “Cancelling a festival that only takes place once every two years is of course an unimaginable disappointment for everyone involved in the preparation and for all visitors and musicians who had looked forward to the festival. But with every measure from the government, we lose a vital part of the whole — we can keep cutting away, but in the end we’re left with something that has nothing to do with a festival anymore. Fortunately, we can still continue a small part of the programming in collaboration with the NTR on NPO Radio 4. We are very grateful to them for that.”
“For a visitor, the programs that have been discussed and compiled with so much attention, so much dedication, naturally come into their own best in the intimacy of a shared live experience, the joint experience in a full concert hall. Nevertheless, together with the string quartets and the Muziekgebouw team, we have recently prepared a number of alternative scenarios, based on the small chance that something could take place at the end of January, but under strict restrictions. These scenarios gave us hope and new inspiration for a while, but there is currently too little prospect of sufficient easing.
We wanted to provide clarity in good time for everyone involved, especially the musicians. Because we don’t want to leave anyone in uncertainty for a long time or prepare something in vain. We had the feeling that we could no longer wait and see too little perspective to properly prepare and continue the festival at the end of January, in whatever form. We are therefore now going to focus on alternative programming together with NPO Radio 4 and the 50 for the Future weekend in May 2023. And although it still sounds very far away, we are already looking forward to the next edition of the String Quartet Biennale, which will take place from 27th January to 3rd February 2024.”
