One of the highlights of the summer festival and cultural season in Amsterdam is the Grachtenfestival (Canal Festival), a week-long event with music performances of all kinds in varied city locations. The top point of the week is the unique Prinsengracht Concert. Staged on a podium built in front of the Pulitzer Hotel in the
Prinsengracht, people start mooring their boats days before to get a
good spot close to the podium.
The afternoon concert was a youth program, this year featuring the Dutch
Youth Orchestra, three young virtuoso soloists and three top Dutch pop
singers.
The evening program was a classical program featuring Danielle de
Niese, an Australian-American sorpano from mixed Dutch and Surniname
heritage.
The afternoon concert is not so crowded as the evening event so I had a great place to stand for the youth concert. By the time I returned for the evening program I couldn't get anywhere near the podium.
The
weather was phenomenal drawing a huge crowd for the evening concert. People
picnic on their boats, set tables up on the sidewalks, put blankets
down on the edge of the street and then it's standing room only. As you
can see from the pictures and videos, this is a very special annual
event, perhaps one of a kind anywhere.
Complete picture album
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| Prinsengracht Concert 2009 |
Selected videos
