Monument house concert series in Utrecht, Netherlands
House concerts in Netherlands have been around since the salon culture of the 19th century. Most are private events by personal invitation only. Unless you know someone who organises house concerts, performs there, or someone who knows either organiser or performer, you won't ever get a chance to hear about it or attend.
We want to change that. We believe that a concert in the comfort of a restored historic home is an unforgettable and inspiring experience which more people deserve to know about and enjoy. A house concert changes the way you perceive live music.
To share our love of music through such intimate house concerts, we invested in a centennial monument house (that is, a canal lock-keeper's house which was awarded Dutch National Monument status for conservation and preservation of history and culture) in central Utrecht, a mere 5 minute cycle ride from the central train station, all along peaceful canals. Monument houses are rarely up for sale, and we were very lucky to get it in such a central location.
With a population of 300,000, Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. This 2,000 year old city is central hub for rail transport networks throughout the country, with high speed trains to Germany, Belgium, and France. A direct train to Schiphol International Airport operates twice an hour, with excellent connections to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag (The Hague), and Eindhoven. Utrecht is famous for its international music festivals including Utrecht Early Music Festival, home of Liszt Piano Competition and European Van Cliburn piano competition, to mention a few. Utrecht's Conservatory is the oldest of eleven in the country.
NEW! Monument House Concert Series website
Concerts:
Recent photos: click on photo to see larger picture.
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This monument house seats 50 indoors and even more in the front and back gardens.
The European oak parquet floor has been carefully laid by the owner and his parents from Southern Holland.
Original ceramic artwork of the London-based architect Ayyub Malik decorate the fireplace. |
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Prominently displayed in the north-east facing piano room is a new oil painting of North Holland-based artist Serge van Empelen who spends his summers near Barcelona.
A newly restored New York Steinway model A (188 cm) from 1909 reigns the piano room, also used as a professional recording studio with state-of-the-art equipment. |
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The ground floor with its 3.15 metre high ceilings and (heated) oak floor offers excellent acoustics.
The tiled floor of the kitchen is designed after the original pattern from 100 years ago. |
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The central but quiet location is excellent for masterclasses, house concerts, workshops, and other gatherings. |
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These national monument houses were originally built by the National Water Board for its employees to operate the lock.
The large back garden (8 x 12 metre) is ideal for intermissions, lunch, evening reception, and outdoor concerts. Three comfortable rooms with wooden floors accommodate visiting artists and scholars upstairs. |
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The loft with its comfortable cherry wood double bed (right) has been indulged by many international guests.
The mezzanine floor with shared kitchenette, bathroom, and laundry facilities, offers rooms with double-glazed slanted roof windows, high speed wireless internet access, and central heating.
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Parking is free and plentiful under the shade of linden trees in front of this house on a one way street next to the canal. Bicycles can also be parked and secured on the rails.
These monument house concerts are organised and recorded by the piano guitar duo. For information, please contact the owners. |
How to get here:
By train to Utrecht Centraal Station, then walk (20 min) or cycle (5 min) through Lombok via Kanaalstraat or along canals to the west. Note: Lombok is probably the most famous area in the 2,000 year old cobbled-stoned city of Utrecht. In the 1990's it became headline news in the Netherlands for successful multi-cultural integration.
From Utrecht Centraal Station, by bus number 4 in direction of Cartesiusweg through Lombok. During working hours there are 6 busses per hour!
By car on A2 motorway, exit Oog in Al, after the bridge, pass the coffee factory and the GAMMA home improvement store. At the junction facing a big church, turn right onto a 4 lane road. At next traffic light turn left (before the bridge over the canal) onto Laan van New Guinea which is a narrow nearly a single lane road. Turn right on Groeneweg which leads you to the canal.
Here's a map for drivers and a map for cyclists and pedestrians. |
Contact us to enquire about the next house concert or to book the venue.
