Residentie Orchestra facts for kids
The Residentie Orchestra (also called The Hague Philharmonic) is a famous orchestra from The Hague in the Netherlands. The Hague is a special city because it's where the Dutch parliament meets. This is why the orchestra is called "Residentie," which means "Residence." It shows that they are from the city where important government buildings are located. Even though The Hague is not the capital city, the Residentie Orchestra is known all over the world for its amazing music.
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The Orchestra's Story: A History
The Residentie Orchestra began in 1903. A group of musicians, already calling themselves the "Residentie Orkest," played a concert in a building in The Hague. By the end of 1904, they were giving regular concerts. Their concert on 20 November 1904 is seen as the official start of the orchestra.
Early Years and Famous Guests
The first conductor of the orchestra was Henri Viotta. He quickly helped the orchestra become very good. Many famous composers came to conduct their own music with the orchestra. These included Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Max Reger, and Maurice Ravel. Dutch composer Peter van Anrooy and guest conductor George Szell also led the orchestra.
The orchestra continued to be known around the world. Very famous conductors like Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Leonard Bernstein, and Hans Knappertsbusch came to lead them.
After World War II: New Music and Tours
After World War II, from 1949 to 1973, Willem van Otterloo was the main conductor. The orchestra played concerts regularly in The Hague and Amsterdam. They also made many recordings for Philips Gramophone. Van Otterloo helped them explore many different styles of music.
Just like in its early days, the orchestra often played modern music. Composers like Bruno Maderna, Mauricio Kagel, John Cage, and Pierre Boulez conducted their own pieces. They also made recordings with other conductors. These included Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Evgenii Svetlanov. They often played music by less well-known Russian composers.
Recent Times and Fun Projects
Jaap van Zweden led the orchestra for five years, starting in 2000. During this time, they toured to Japan and South America. They also made recordings to celebrate the orchestra's 100th birthday. Van Zweden is still an Honorary Guest Conductor for the orchestra.
Today, the orchestra's main conductor is Neeme Järvi. Many new and exciting things have started. One cool project is the Residentie Scratch Orchestra. In this, amateur musicians can join the professional players of the orchestra to perform a concert together!
Where the Orchestra Plays: Concert Halls
The Residentie Orchestra played many concerts in the Gebouw voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen. This building was also known as the "K&W Building." They also had very popular summer concerts in the Kurzaal in Scheveningen. Scheveningen is a seaside town near The Hague. Until 1915, another orchestra played these summer concerts. The Residentie Orchestra took over and continued them until 1968.
In 1964, the orchestra moved out of the K&W Building. Soon after, the building was destroyed by fire. The Residentie Orchestra then played their regular concerts in the Kurzaal. In 1968, they moved to the Congresgebouw (Congress Building) in the west of The Hague. This hall was not ideal for concerts. So, in 1987, they moved to the new Dr. Anton Philipszaal in the city center. There are now plans to build a brand new arts complex in that area.
Main Conductors of the Orchestra
- Henri Viotta (1904 - 1917)
- Peter van Anrooy (1917 - 1935)
- Frits Schuurman (1938 - 1949)
- Willem van Otterloo (1949 - 1973)
- Jean Martinon (1975 - 1976)
- Ferdinand Leitner (1976 - 1980)
- Hans Vonk (1980 - 1991)
- Evgeny Svetlanov (1992 - 2000)
- Jaap van Zweden (2000 - 2005)
- Neeme Järvi (2005 - present)
See also
In Spanish: Orquesta de la Residencia de la Haya para niños
