The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra was formed in 1955, since when it has proved itself an exceptional ensemble with a long history of notable achievements. Although it merged with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in 1985, the orchestra has never lost its own identity. In fact, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra has consistently surprised its symphonic ‘big brother’.
Particularly notable is the dynamic between the members of the orchestra, which rarely performs under a conductor. The musicians have complete confidence in each other and their chemistry is obvious to all. “It’s a state of mind in which everything comes together. You can rise above yourself. Everyone goes to a own special place where we all meet each other. Call it a common feeling, a certain mythology, a scent, poetry, whatever. The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra can do that,” states concertmaster Gordan Nikolitch with verve.
Gordan Nikolitch was appointed concertmaster in 2004. Through his passion and commitment, the Serbian-born violinist has spurred the orchestra to ever greater artistic heights.
Nikolitch is aware that he is the custodian of a rich artistic heritage. The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra rose to international fame under violinist and conductor Szymon Goldberg, who founded the ensemble in 1955 and continued in the role of concertmaster until 1979. Goldberg took the orchestra on several international tours. On one occasion, the music critic of the New York Times wrote, “If ever a concert merited the epithet ‘perfect’, it was the one given by Szymon Goldberg and his Netherlands Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.”
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra gives dozens of concerts every year. It can regularly be heard in Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, as well as other major concert halls throughout the Netherlands and beyond. The orchestra also plays in venues that are not so readily associated with classical music, such as Amsterdam’s Paradiso where an enthusiastic capacity audience enjoyed a programme of works by Stravinsky and Ravel. Like the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra often takes part in productions of the Dutch National Opera.
