Program season 2026 - 2027

• TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2026 - ARETHUSA QUARTET
• TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2026 - NOE INUI VIOLIN en VASILIS VARVARESOS PIANO
• TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2026 - RUYSDAEL QUARTET
• TUESDAY 26 JANUARY 2027 - DUDOK QUARTET
• TUESDAY 16 MARCH 2027 - DELTA PIANO TRIO
• TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2027 - UTRECHT STRING QUARTET

TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2026
20.15 p.m.

ARETHUSA QUARTET

PROGRAM

Back in October 2023, Daniel Rowland announced during his appearance in our Diligentia series that the formation of the Arethusa Quartet was imminent, and this intention became a reality that same year. The three women in the ensemble had previously performed with Rowland. The ensemble's name refers to the mythical, magical water nymph Arethusa. According to its own website, this quartet unites four exciting, internationally renowned musicians, each with a background as a soloist and as a player in world-renowned chamber music ensembles. In this quartet, they combine their vast imagination and creativity with a captivating intensity. This intensity is palpable during their performances because they are always "in the moment" while playing music. Since its founding, the ensemble has been a high guest at numerous festivals and concert venues. Its members are passionate advocates of contemporary music.
And who doesn't think of Rowland, who grew up in Weerselo (Twente), when they think of the Stift Festival, where he and other top musicians have been performing successfully twice a year since 2005. This renowned festival has since attracted audiences from far and wide. Website: www.arethusaquartet.com

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TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2026
20.15 p.m.

NOE INUI and VASILIS VARVARESOS

PROGRAM

This evening, two exceptional talents take the stage:
Noé Inui (born 1985) and Vassilis Varvaresos (born 1983).
Inui, born to Greek-Japanese parents, is a true global citizen. He studied in Brussels, Paris, and Germany. In 2025, he won a special prize for young talent at the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki, and in 2009, he was the winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York. A rapid career as a soloist on international concert stages, as well as in chamber music ensembles, was inevitable. Varvaresos is a Greek master pianist. In 1998, he was the youngest winner of the competition in New York. In 2015, he won a prize at the Monte Carlo Piano Masters.
At their first performance as a duo in 2012, it was clear that Noé and Vassilis have a good understanding of each other, and since then, they have been regularly heard together in the Netherlands: an irresistible combination! In 2020, the Concertgebouw selected them as one of the Classical Futures Europe Artists. Together, Noé and Vassilis toured Japan and the US.

Website: www.noeinui.com
www.vassilisvarvaresos.com

TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2026
20.15 p.m.

RUYSDAEL QUARTET

PROGRAM

The Ruysdael Quartet has performed in our Diligentia series before, most recently in 2022, and also graced our centennial celebrations in 2012!
Founded in 1996, the quartet learned from the Amadeus, Hagen, and Alban Berg Quartets in its early years. They immediately reaped the rewards of this early work, winning a prize at the Bordeaux Quatuors Competition in 2001, and in 2006, the ensemble won the Netherlands' most prestigious chamber music prize, the Kersjes Prize. The quartet specializes in the entire quartet repertoire, from Haydn to contemporary compositions, including commissions. To celebrate the ensemble's 25th anniversary, 25 composers wrote a miniature! In 2020, a reviewer in the Haarlems Dagblad described their playing as follows: "The quartet achieves maximum expression with total technical mastery. Every detail is perfect, every note falls into place." It's therefore understandable that the ensemble's performance this year marks its fifth anniversary at Diligentia! Since 2015, the ensemble has organized its own summer chamber music festival, "ZOOM."

Website: www.ruysdaelkwartet.nl

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TUESDAY 26 JANUARY 2027
20.15 p.m.

DUDOK QUARTET

PROGRAM

The Dudok Quartet graduated from the Netherlands String Quartet Academy in 2013 with the highest distinction and was immediately a finalist at the International String Quartet Competition in Bordeaux. Since then, their star has been rising, and the ensemble has developed into one of the most versatile quartets of its generation, performing at renowned European concert halls and beyond. The ensemble questions what lies behind the notes and engages its audience in this process. Their philosophy: music only gains meaning through the listener's experience. For example, they developed a podcast about Haydn, enjoy playing with notes in arrangements for their own use, and regularly commission pieces from contemporary composers, such as Gabriela Ortiz. Since 2024, the ensemble has organized its own "Dudok Music Days" in Kampen. The ensemble plays valuable instruments: the violins are by the Italians Francesco Goffriller (1725) and Vincenzo Panormo (1810), the viola is by Jean Baptiste Lefrèbre (1767, on loan from the National Musical Instruments Fund) and the cello by Hendrik Jacobs (1700), both makers of Dutch descent.

Website www.dudokquartet.com

TUESDAY 16 MARCH 2027
20.15 p.m.

DELTA PIANO TRIO

PROGRAM

The Delta Piano Trio was founded in Salzburg in 2013. Originally intended as a one-off project, their intensive collaboration blossomed into a promising and successful ensemble. They studied in Salzburg and Paris, among other places, with the Hagen Quartet and the Wanderer Trio. The trio now regularly gives masterclasses and coaching to young ensembles.
The trio has won multiple first prizes in important (including international) competitions. In 2015, for example, the trio won the Orlando International Chamber Music Competition. In 2021, it won the prestigious Kersjes Prize, the most important Dutch chamber music award. A quote from the jury report: "The warm, lush sound, the perfect balance, and the captivating playing... overwhelmed us." They bring three personalities together into an intense and musical unity, pursuing their own path with a highly personal repertoire. They perform works from the entire piano trio oeuvre, with a strong affinity for contemporary music. In this context, the ensemble collaborates with, among others, the Dutch composer Joey Roukens (1982), whose compositions are also performed by, for example, the brothers Jussen and Janine Jansen.

Website: www.deltapianotrio.com

TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2027
20.15 p.m.

UTRECHT STRING QUARTET

PROGRAM

The Utrecht String Quartet (USQ) was founded in 1985 by three of its current members. Mikhail Zemtsov joined later. The four musicians of different nationalities live in the Netherlands. They also play in various orchestras and are all affiliated with the Utrecht Conservatory. Their passion for chamber music is driving them, and their musical world is expansive. Their performances on major stages at home and abroad, including those outside Europe, are highly regarded, and they also perform their diverse repertoire in smaller venues. They describe themselves as versatile, dynamic, and boundless. They are always discovering something new, even in their search for lost or forgotten repertoire. Furthermore, the ensemble seeks collaborations with contemporary composers and other musicians, as was the case for their concert at Diligentia.
Jean Johnson is a British-American clarinetist who performs successfully as a soloist with orchestras and chamber music ensembles internationally.
The versatile pianist Ilona Timchenko was born in Crimea and has achieved international recognition for her playing, full of depth and power. She has won numerous awards and distinctions. Website: www.utrechtstringquartet.com