What makes human beings?

At a time when we increasingly reflect on our impact on the world and the rise of lifelike technologies, we ask the question: What makes us human? A question that may have no answer, but does serve as a starting point for a profound programme. With plenty of lieding on themes such as our search for meaning, our relationship with nature, identity, love and dealing with mortality. In this recital, alongside well-known works such as Schumann's Liederkreis, you will also hear pieces by lesser-known composers such as Muriel Herbert and Margarete Schweikert.

But this concert is more than just a listening experience. What does it mean to you to be human? Your answer can become part of the music—perhaps your thought will be brought to life in a unique improvisation…

Sign up:
at contact person Hilda Wouwenaar by e-mail: friesland@vvhl.nl

An American in Paris
Paris has been a beacon for composers looking for inspiration for centuries. It is fertile ground where cultures merge and artistic revolutions begin. For generations, American composers flocked to the ‘city of light’, attracted by poetry, avant-garde harmonies and the vibrant worlds of jazz and cabaret. They studied under legendary musicians like Nadia Boulanger and Alfred Cortot, whose influence reached from Samuel Barber to Robert Owens.
With the programme An American in Paris Jared Michaud and Christina Koti follow that transatlantic dialogue, from Poulenc's elegant settings of Ronsard to the smoky, jazz-inspired world of Weill and Bolcom. The programme celebrates the syncopated energy of jazz and the playful subversion of cabaret that redefined musical expression, creating a rich musical heritage where French sophistication met American audacity. An ‘American in Paris’ themselves, Jared Michaud and Christina Koti will let you experience the melodies, humour and passion that continue to make Paris a muse for artists on both sides of the Atlantic.

See the whole programme or read the explanation >

Sign up:
contact person Marianne van den Heuvel via: rotterdam@vvhl.nl

Éphémère

Bloemen ontluiken en verwelken, liefde bloeit op en vervaagt, herinneringen blijven nazinderen. In Éphémère verkennen sopraan Fleur Strijbos en pianiste Babette Craens de vluchtigheid van schoonheid, liefde en verlangen. Liederen van Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, Fauré en Debussy ontmoeten minder bekende parels van Belgische componisten als Mortelmans en De Boeck. Een poëtisch recital waarin de natuur een spiegel wordt van menselijke emoties en het vergankelijke een bijzondere schoonheid krijgt.

Sign up:
at contact person Roderik Blom by e-mail: hetgooi@vvhl.nl

Untaming Lied – Songs Beyond Borders is a programme that consciously plays with expectations. The title uses the term ‘untaming’ here in the sense of freeing the repertoire from its conventions and opening it up beyond the boundaries of the usual canon.
All the works are by composers who have experienced discrimination in one way or another and whose works do not form part of the usual art lied repertoire. We are opening up the repertoire to voices that have historically been excluded from the canon, for example women and queer composers.
Yet this biographical similarity is not the programme’s sole theme. The common thread lies, in fact, in the diversity of the music itself. Romantic art meets chanson, humour meets melancholy, intimacy meets caricature. It is precisely through their differences that the works complement one another, thus forming a colourful programme so varied that it almost seems amusing to simply call it ‘lied’.

Sign up:
at contacts Babs and Nico Witteman by e-mail: amsterdam@vvhl.nl

Zijn al die prachtige recitals van Vrienden van het Lied een inspiratie om ook eens van u te laten horen? Tijdens dit leden-voor-ledenconcert kan dat! Niet de professionele duo´s van Vrienden van het Lied, maar de leden zelf zingen en spelen dan voor elkaar. In enkele andere regio´s van de vereniging zijn deze concerten al een groot succes. Op 22 november kunnen leden van de regio Rotterdam van zich laten horen.

And of course, listeners are always welcome too, because what is a performance without an audience? Let yourself be surprised by the talent of your fellow members and give them a well-deserved round of applause! However, please do register in advance. 

Sign up:
bij contactpersonen Marianne van den Heuvel of Liesbeth Reijerkerk per mail: rotterdam@vvhl.nl

Éphémère

Bloemen ontluiken en verwelken, liefde bloeit op en vervaagt, herinneringen blijven nazinderen. In Éphémère verkennen sopraan Fleur Strijbos en pianiste Babette Craens de vluchtigheid van schoonheid, liefde en verlangen. Liederen van Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, Fauré en Debussy ontmoeten minder bekende parels van Belgische componisten als Mortelmans en De Boeck. Een poëtisch recital waarin de natuur een spiegel wordt van menselijke emoties en het vergankelijke een bijzondere schoonheid krijgt.

Sign up:
at contact person Elsa van Willenswaard by e-mail: zutphen@vvhl.nl

Amor, Sol, Saudade - South song
Wanderlust, l'appel du large, fernweh ... they are different words and languages to express the same deep longing for travel. Spanish amor, sol and saudade refer to passion, warmth and a melancholic longing. This hot-blooded programme will take you on a journey between two worlds, past Iberian and Brazilian melodies.
Enrique Granados and Fernando Obradors show us different facets of Spanish song, romantic or folk, deeply influenced by the guitar. António Fragoso's rarely performed songs are gems of tenderness, with the characteristic Portuguese intimacy. Finally, the vibrant colours of Brazil, which shine in the songs of Ernani Braga and Heitor Villa-Lobos, complete this ‘invitation au voyage’ by Maria Portela Larisch and Jou-an Chen.

Sign up:
at contact person Mieke van Huijgevoort via: denbosch@vvhl.nl

Je bois à la joie!

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is one of the most important composers of the 20th century. With Claude Debussy, he is among the most important impressionists and is also considered a forerunner of expressionism.

2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth in Ciboure, French Basque Country. To mark the occasion, this programme has been put together, consisting of five complete song cycles. Three are by Ravel himself, one by his composition teacher Gabriel Fauré and one cycle by his main student : Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Sign up:
by e-mail to contact Marianne Oelers: utrecht@vvhl.nl