The crème de la crème of international musicians and conductors appear at this palatial classical music venue – the world's busiest. Audrey Hepburn even had a season ticket when she lived in Amsterdam following World War Two. As well as its main hall (seating around 2,000), it has a small hall which is ideal for chamber music. The Concertgebouw puts on a staggering 800 or so concerts a year making it the world's busiest classical music venue. It also boasts a world-famous, resident jazz orchestra who performed the sweeping score in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. The acoustics are sublime, the sense of history awe-inspiring and it's an absolute must for the free lunchtime concerts on Wednesdays, held most of the year round (though not in July and August). They afford an exclusive glimpse of some of the world's finest conductors and orchestras at work; the atmosphere is informal and quality unsurpassed.
MUZIEKGEBOUW | Piet Heinkade 1 | (020) 788 2010 | www.muziekgebouw.nl
This stunning architectural addition to Amsterdam's skyline (the glass-centric creation of Nielsen, Nielsen & Nielsen), opened in 2005 on the waterfront near Centraal Station. It programmes contemporary music, chamber music, non-western music and old music, as well as providing a stage for amateur musicians and sound artists. And its state-of-the-art sound systems means that the work of composers and musicians can be finely-tuned to their specific wishes. The 'Music Building' is also home to the Bimhuis (see below), and Star Ferry restaurant. One of my favourite places to pop in for a morning coffee or lunch – especially in the spring and summer when you can sit out on the terrace here.
BIMHUIS | Piet Heinkade 3 | (020) 788 2188 | www.bimhuis.nl
A black shoebox-like structure on stilts which sticks out (both literally and metaphorically), of the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ has been the new home of the world-renowned jazz venue since February 2005. At its previous location on the Oudeschans – which it occupied for more than 25 years – it welcomed American legends such as Charles Mingus, Art Blakey and Chet Baker (who died in 1988 after falling from the second floor of an Amsterdam hotel in mysterious circumstances...). The Bimhuis has also provided a stage for Dutch musicians who have gone on to enjoy international success, such as Willem Breuker and Misha Mengelberg. Staging around 250 concerts a year, its programme offers a diverse mix of jazz and improvised music with a focus on new developments. It captures the jazz zeitgeist remarkably well.