Donation goals

Members of the orchestra teaching in the classroom, school performances, educational apps, concerts at the Concertgebouw or at the orchestra’s home in Gabriël Metsustraat. Projects for primary and secondary schools introducing children and young people to classical music. All this is made possible by generous donors.

Donations facilitate the various projects with which the Concertgebouw Orchestra sets itself apart artistically and strengthens its image. This ranges from small-scale projects to special productions with the full orchestra – such as operas in concert version, interdisciplinary projects, and collaborations with other cultural institutions. One example of this is the Bijlmer Klassiek series.

With our Academy and Concertgebouw Orchestra Young, the orchestra has developed two internationally recognized talent development programmes for young musicians.

The Academy of the Concertgebouw Orchestra has served as a bridge between the conservatory and the professional music world for over twenty years. The training programme also serves as a pool from which the Concertgebouw Orchestra itself can draw. The students are initiated to, and trained in the tradition of, the orchestra’s culture and master the very specific ensemble playing required . No fewer than sixteen former Academy students are now fully fledged members of the our orchestra.

Concertgebouw Orchestra Young is our European youth orchestra. The aim of the project is to showcase those with hidden talent – young musicians who could use a little extra support and who have lacked visibility in the orchestras of Europe. The next editions will take place in the summers of 2025, 2027, and 2029.

The Ammodo Masterclass has become a household name throughout the world. The three-day masterclass gives four talented young conductors the chance to conduct the Concertgebouw Orchestra while at the same time receiving instruction from a prominent maestro.

All of these projects have been made possible entirely through the support of private donors and funds.

Thanks to donors, donors, corporate partners and foundations the orchestra is reaching audiences for the future.

The successful Essentials Series, presenting symphonic masterpieces that everyone should know, is aimed at engaging audiences who are not yet familiar with the orchestra or with classical music.

By programming family series and children’s concerts for young listeners and their parents or grandparents, the Concertgebouw Orchestra is helping to ensure the musical development of a new generation of audiences.

The annual, free open-air concert Opening Night – made possible by global partners ING, Unilever, and Booking.com – attracts a large number of new audience members from various parts of the city where the orchestra performs.

The Concertgebouworkest’s unique sound is not the result of chance. Indeed, the musicians are constantly working to safeguard it as they play, listen and refine every single day. As long as they have the very best tools at their disposal, the possibilities are endless. Unfortunately, most musicians could never afford such instruments, many of which are centuries old. Donations help make possible the purchase of first-rate instruments, which are provided to our musicians on loan for the whole of their career with the orchestra.

The orchestra is in urgent need of a structural form of long-term funding. Current cost increases and the unpredictable political climate exacerbate the financial vulnerability of the cultural sector, and thus of our orchestra.

Therefore, since 2024, the Endowment Fund has been highlighted as an important fundraising goal. The idea behind an endowment is to increase the so-called core capital in such a way that the return can be spent on the orchestra. The higher the core capital, the higher the return, and therefore the contribution to the orchestra. The goal is to reduce financial pressure in the future and to maintain the orchestra’s current world-class quality for years to come.

With our Leading Women in Music Fund we are eager to contribute to a stronger representation of female conductors and composers at the top of international symphony orchestras. Particularly among the leading international symphony orchestras, the trend towards more women in these positions is not necessarily a given.