Het Concertgebouw

A must visit for classical music lovers. One of the best acoustics in the world.
What is there to like:
— any place in the hall is a good place to listen to the music. For views, my favourite is on the side balcony.
— if you have a chance and are up for a challenge, go to the Matheus Passion around Easter. Remember to take hints from the audience when you are allowed to applaud.
— Free lunch concerts — normally on wednesday
What to wear? casual. Jeans nor tuxedo are appropriate

Yes, the Concertgebouw has the world’s greatest classical concert hall acoustics. We hadn’t been in many, many years, but we went back to check, and with a great ensemble, such as the Concertgebouw Orchestra, it is as good as it gets. With a somewhat lesser ensemble, as we heard two nights later, it is still wonderful. Tickets are easily booked online, although the good seats go months in advance, but there are no bad seats, just different views. If you haven’t been to classical events in Europe before don’t be surprised by the absence of the wasteful American extravagance of giving everyone an advertisement-​filled printed program which most will just throw away on exiting; here, if you want one you pay for it. On the other hand, do be aware that unlike most places your Concertgebouw ticket includes both pre-​concert and intermission drinks: beer, wine, soft drinks and hot beverages are complimentary although champagne costs extra! Your concert ticket also gets you free transit on the multiple tram lines that stop directly adjacent to the hall. The orchestra level facilities are all the way in the back, behind the stage, so depending on your legs there’s often a shorter line by just climbing up to the balcony level, plus, you get to enjoy the view!

One of the best concert halls in the world, with one of the best orchestras in the world in residence… what more could you want?!! Insiders tip: if you’re under 30 you can get last minute rush tickets (sprintplaatsen) for € 15! Just show up to the box office 45 minutes before the start of any concert, show an official ID that has your birthdate on it (passport, driving license, etc) and ask for a sprint ticket. Any unsold tickets are made free (if the concert is sold out, then you’re out of luck) and sometimes you can get a ticket/​seat that normally costs upwards of € 100. AND tickets are all-​inclusive drinks, so you can enjoy unlimited coffee/​tea/​beer/​wine/​soda before the concert and in the pauze. It’s a great deal!!!

Don’t tell me you’ve been living in Amsterdam and you’ve never been to Het Concertgebouw! It’s one of the best concerthalls in the world, its acoustics being unparalelled or so I am told. Book a ticket, enjoy the evening and have a drink afterwards at Café Welling (closeby).

I’d like to give it 3.5 stars, but alas. I’ve only been to the NY Philharmonic as a comparison, so I’m not an expert. The building apparently has really fantastic acoustics, which were clear and nicely volumed during our Sunday morning visit. The orchestra was good, the choir was great, and the audience was, as to be expected, on the senior side. It was a nice experience that I would recommend. Maybe I’m out of my element here, but I felt like the pastel décor contrasted with red velvet seats and curtains was an eye sore…

The concert venues in the US could take a tip from this place. My hubby and I saw the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra here and the sound was absolutely resonating and clear throughout the whole place. We sat on the first row of the balcony and it felt like the violin soloist was right next to us. We loved taking in a free drink before the show and during the intermission. FYI-​If you are under age 30, the price is seriously slashed.

I love this place! Every time Dvorak’s 9^th symphony is being played here, I try to be there! But tickets are often sold out months in advance so. sad AJ.
Here’s what I LOVE about this place.
First of all, there are places in the world where there are concert halls built with the newest technology and knowledge of math, physics and sound engineering. Like the new one in Sydney or Santory Hall in Tokyo. What shape and size should the dome be, where should the podium stand, where and how should the pillars and seats be placed, what materials to use, which wood offers the best resonance etc. etc. etc.
Yet, this hundreds year old building that was made by hand still trumps most new buildings! It is one of THE best sounding concert halls in the world! And it’s smack in the middle of Europe, where classic music was born! Sure, it’s not in Vienna or anything but it’s still in Europe, unlike the other two I mentioned as an example before.
Not only that, but it’s also SUPER CHEAP to buy tickets here! It’s relatively super cheap! In Tokyo I would pay € 140 for Dvorak’s 9^th symphony, for example! For the least appealing seats! Here at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam I usually pay around € 35 for very appealing seats for the same performance! Whut!!!
Yeah… Also, as a student you get loads of discount and not to mention that if you just physically go there at the door before a show you can get seats for € 10 or even free because of the people who were supposed to be there to pick up their tickets either forget, said f*ck it, or just didn’t make it on time. Yay for you, no?!

You can do a tour of the Concertgebouw, and you can also catch their free performances at 12:30 on Wednesdays. But, you should also check the actual schedule and find tickets to one of their amazing performances!
I attended Mozart’s Requiem in February 2014, and was blown away. The hall itself is gorgeous, the seating is comfortable, and the performance was spectacular. I must admit that I was surprised at how casual attendees were dressed (and they definitely weren’t all tourists). In a black skirt, top, and heels I felt a bit overdressed compared to most, but oh well. It’s a good place to get dressed up for. That being said, definitely don’t shy away if you were unable to pack a dress and heels — you’ll be fine in slacks and a sweater.

If there was ever a place, to make me say WOW
It’s the classical music hall — het Concertgebouw
Mahler, Beethoven, Prokofiev and Bach
Not to forget my favorite, Rachmaninoff!
The Concertgebouw is famous, in fact
With 125 years of history still intact!
The acoustics alone are world renowned
That many recordings, on YouTube can be found!
And here’s a tip that to many untold…
Bestoweth you a discount, if under 30 years old!
With daily concerts of grand degree
If you’ve not gone, it’s time to go, I agree!
And if you’re still thinking… C-​bouw, oh née
Did I mention there is free beer and wine? YAY!!!

Hablan maravillas de su acústica y la ingeniería tras ella, pero yo no he podido comprobarlo en directo esta vez; quizá vuelva algún día, dicen las malas lenguas que aquí tocó hace un tiempo mi pianista preferida y vendré a escucharla y verla si vuelve a hacerlo.
Me ha impactado la decoración, o más bien su ausencia en general, aunque es la tónica dominante en este país por lo que vengo viendo, y he de decir que las escasas escayolas que ahí hay son de un gusto magnífico para los que gozamos con las decoraciones clásicas. Lo que es una pena es que, según nos ha contado la guía, lo que el Estado les da para mantenimiento no llega ni para los asientos de la sala grande, así que se ven obligado a repercutirlo en las entradas y a dejar que Heineken (la familia) les pague unas cuantas cosas. Confiemos en que, con el tiempo, eso no lo transforme en Het Concertgebouw Heineken, que aborrezco ese tipo de prácticas.
Por cierto que la guía ha sido muy maja y nos ha enseñado las tramoyas, los sótanos y otros lugares secretos que no enseñan habitualmente porque éramos pocos, ¡incluso los camerinos y el restaurante privado de los artistas!

As soon as I know I will be spending any amount of time in Amsterdam, I go online to see the programming for two venues in Amsterdam– The Melkweg and The Concertgebouw! (
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I live to hear live music and this grand, beloved institution has the ability to elevate that experience to religious status. The Concertgebouw offers a wide variety of programming and visiting artists– from Classical to Jazz, Electronic to Experimental. All well selected and all remarkable complimented by this stunning venue.
There are often last minute tickets and student admission available for those who are on budgets.
Please go, I insist!

As concert halls go, this one is perfectly comfortable, well-​located and really affordable while still being decorated enough to make you feel like you’re having a special evening. Not extravagant — very Dutch that way — but very nice. Fantastic sound as promised, and of course the symphony orchestra was über talented. If you’re in town for more than a week, you really should visit.

First off, I have not been here for a classical event (although it is something I want to do.) I was here for a party event which is not typical for this location. So, I am only going to comment on the building itself. It’s cool.
Lots of things to look at and little details to discover. I was a bit surprised that the main hall was quite smaller than I expected.
It is a cool space that I’m looking forward to going back to.

Beethoven’s 3^rd and 4^th played by the #1 orchestra in the world today in an acoustically perfect concert hall… a dream come true for me. The best rendition of Beethoven’s 4^th I have ever heard. I bought my ticket online before the trip. Expensive and worth it!

Incredibly built more than 100 year old concert hall (apparently built after Brahms snubbed the lack of places to perform in the Netherlands, according to the guidebooks, with modern exterior expansions that add a chrome touch to the south side with a mod café. After amazingly securing last minute tickets, I was able to have the ideal view of the orchestra and conductor, seated in the choir seats. The performing group was the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (no longer a «youth» orchestra) conducted by Dudamel. While the hall is well regarded for its accoustics, I was disadvantaged by my position and the fact that the hyped up orchestra (I think there were almost 200 players!) chose two highly bombastic loud modern works to play. The sound was utterly overwhelming, the loudest classical concert I have ever been to, which was visceral and thrilling, particularly given the extreme passion of the players, who closely resembled a churning boiling gyrating music spewing organism. One major problem: is there any AC? Temperature was nearly unbearable after 3 encores and the orchestra looked ready to collapse. Still haven’t figured out why the orchestra didn’t come on stage until after the concert was ready to start, which took about 15 minutes with this huge group, who made the stage look tiny as they crowded together.
As an American a few things struck me: the crowd was utterly silent (more extraneous noise from the orchestra members!), the price of the ticket included a beverage before and at intermission, and your ticket gets you free public transportation to and from that evening. How ideal is that! Also the hall is lined with the names of composers, which continue to be updated at least to the mid 20^th century.
PS: I don’t care if you are the Prince of the Netherlands, walking in during the tuning of the orchestra and causing applause to obscure the orchestra’s work is just rude :)