VU-Orkest & VU-Koor

This performance is exclusively for VU staff and VU students.

As a VU staff member, you are allowed to bring three guests at the same discounted rate that you can select during the ordering process. This option is not available for VU students.

Each person will receive two drink tokens for a beverage and there is an opportunity to dine in the foyer from 6:00 PM. This is included in the promotional price of €5.

To kick off the year musically, the VU Orchestra and the VU Choir, in collaboration with the Griffioen, have organised a fantastic concert which will take place on 19 September in the Aula of the Main Building of the VU.

The VU Orchestra will open the evening with two special pieces. The VU Orchestra is the university's student orchestra with approximately 80 members. We rehearse every Wednesday evening in the NU building in the Griffioenzaal under the direction of our fantastic conductor Arjan Tien. Unfortunately, he cannot be present on 19 September, so we will perform under the passionate direction of conductor Jurjen Hempel. To conclude the beautiful evening, the VU Choir will sing passionate works by Mendelssohn, which perfectly capture the essence of summer. The VU Choir is a large and versatile Amsterdam student and youth choir, led by Dody Soetanto.

One of the pieces to be performed is composed by Rudi Stephan and is called ‘Musik für Geige und Orchester’, which simply means: ‘music for violin and orchestra’. It is a splendid late romantic composition in which the entire orchestra engages in a dialogue with the soloist. The soloist is none other than Lucien Renette, who was also the concertmaster of the VU Orchestra until the summer of 2024. On this special festive evening, we will therefore be performing with him for the last time.

Additionally, the well-known romantic work by Tchaikovsky, namely Romeo and Juliet, will be performed. You will be swept away by emotions of fear, rivalry, combativeness, but above all, a lot of love in the interpretation of this famous love story.

Furthermore, the VU Choir will sing beautiful choral works by Felix Mendelssohn (Op.41 and Op.59) and conclude with the lovely piece by Mendelssohn – Verleih uns Frieden. Let yourself be enchanted by the mesmerising sounds of our four-part harmony.

In our opinion, there is no better way to start the new academic year!

We hope to see you there!

About the employee shows

The VU staff performances are an initiative of the Lokaal Overleg VU, the forum of the trade union representation at the VU. With the help of the employment conditions funds that the VU makes available as an employer, VU employees are able to attend the best performances for a modest sum ten times a year.

Tickets for the employee performances are only available for current VU employees, not for former employees and employees of the VUmc. Tickets for the employee show cost €3,- each. On presentation of an employee pass, you can order up to 4 tickets, also for non-VU employees. With every employee screening you will receive 2 free tokens per person, to be exchanged at Bar Boele.

For regular screenings, the employee discount only applies to the employee and non-employees pay the regular price.