Birthday boy Jaap van Zweden conducts Beethoven's Fidelio during the NTR Saturday Matinee

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On his 60^th birthday, Saturday 12 December, conductor Jaap van Zweden returns to the NTR Saturday Matinee, which celebrates its 60^th concert season. He will conduct the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Choir, and a cast of international star soloists in a performance of Beethoven's opera Fidelio.

A Matinee full of anniversaries

Due to the present corona measures, Wagner's Götterdämmerung, initially scheduled as one of the highlights of the 60^th season of the NTR Saturday Matinee series, proved too big a project for the Main Hall of The Concertgebouw. Instead, birthday boy Jaap van Zweden will conduct Ludwig van Beethoven's opera Fidelio, at the end of the Beethoven Year 2020. With largely the same star cast, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra - of which he was the principal conductor from 2005 to 2011 - and the Netherlands Radio Choir. Both radio ensembles celebrate their 75^th anniversary this year.

On Saturday 12 December from 2:15 pm, the postponed live broadcast of this concert can be listened to on NPO Radio 4 via https://www.nporadio4.nl/live. On Sunday 13 December from 9:30 pm, the concertante version of the opera will be broadcast on NPO Start and can be viewed via https://www.npostart.nl/

Saturday 12 December
Postponed live broadcast on NPO Radio 4 at 2:15 pm CET
NTR Saturday Matinee
The Amsterdam Concertgebouw

Sunday 13 December
After Podium Witteman, around 7:15 pm, broadcast of Fidelio on NPO 2 (in the Netherlands) and available via NPO Start from around 9.30 pm CET.

Beethoven Fidelio

Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Dutch Radio Choir
Jaap van Zweden conductor
Simon Halsey choral conductor

Anja Kampesoprano, Leonore
Daniel Franktenor, Florestan
Georg Zeppenfeldbass, Rocco
Simon Nealbaritone, Don Pizarro
Oliver Zwargbass-baritone, Don Fernando
Mercedes Arcurisoprano, Marzelline
Thomas Atkinstenor, Jaquino
Robert Hollnarrator

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Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1361154/NTR_ZaterdagMatinee_Jaap_van_Zweden.jpg