Sing along and play with us in our music spectacle on 28 June

On Sunday 28 June, we celebrate the 150th birthday of HKU Utrechts Conservatorium with the music spectacle Treasure of Utrecht. And we do this together with all Utrecht residents, because everyone may join! For vocalists and musicians, we offer free guest lessons in advance, with the option of joining our students during the rehearsals. You can register until Tuesday 26 May.

Music Spectacle Treasure of Utrecht

With the music spectacle Treasure of Utrecht, we bring our festive jubilee year, celebrating our 150th anniversary, to a close. The Treasure of Utrecht consists of two parts: it starts with a large-scale musical parade from Domplein to Mariaplaats, performing music by Jacob van Eyck, the seventeenth-century blind carillon player of the Dom Tower. Upon arriving at Mariaplaats, we perform a composition written in 1970 by Louis Andriessen for the music school as it was then: Red Rackham’s Treasure.

Sing and play with us!

We are celebrating 150 years of HKU Utrechts Conservatorium together. You can take part with or without preparation—whether you are a singer or an instrumentalist. Musicians of all ages and levels, working across all genres, are welcome.

Taking part in Treasure of Utrecht is a unique opportunity to join hundreds of Conservatorium students and staff, in an event that promises to be the musical open-air spectacle of the summer of 2026. We will celebrate our anniversary together with the whole city and expect to draw a large audience. For singers and instrumentalists alike, the spectacle also offers the chance to become familiar with a unique repertoire by two major Utrecht composers: Jacob van Eyck, the seventeenth-century blind carillon player of the Dom Tower, and Louis Andriessen, perhaps the most prominent composer Utrecht has produced.

Guest lessons and rehearsals

Choirs and singers can take part in both the musical parade from Domplein to Mariaplaats and the final concert at Mariaplaats. Participation is open to both choirs and individual singers. We offer the following:
- A guest lesson on Thursday 28 May, from 7.30 to 9.00 pm, from choir teacher Tristan Knelange at HKU Utrechts Conservatorium. During the session, you will learn the music to be performed during the spectacle on 28 June. We will also prepare you for your role within the overall performance: how you will take part in both the parade and the final concert.
- The opportunity to join rehearsals with all our students on the evenings of Monday and Tuesday 22 and 23 June (location: HKU Utrechts Conservatorium), Thursday afternoon 25 June (location: ZIMIHC Theatre Stefanus), and Sunday morning 28 June (location: Mariaplaats). Attendance at rehearsals is not mandatory, but we strongly recommend that everyone joins at least one session. You are welcome to attend individually; choirs do not need to join as a group, and choir members may attend a rehearsal on a day that suits them best.
After you register, we will keep you informed about the repertoire and how to prepare. You can sign up via the form at the bottom of this page.
Anyone who plays an instrument, whether it’s guitar, recorder flute, trumpet, drums, or anything else, is welcome to take part in the closing concert at Mariaplaats, across all genres and disciplines (classical, jazz, pop, or otherwise). Note that it is not possible to play along during the musical parade from Domplein to Mariaplaats; however, everyone is welcome to walk along and take part in a musical movement.
- A guest lesson in late May / early June (the exact date will be announced shortly) at HKU Utrechts Conservatorium. Teacher Esmée Olthuis will prepare you for your participation in the closing concert using the unique kobranie method. Kobranie is a method for making music together that is suitable for all musicians. Everyone can take part. The method is based on clear, accessible instructions and draws on music that participants can already play themselves. Reading sheet music is not required. What you do need is a willingness to play together, and the confidence to play something you haven’t prepared in advance.
- The opportunity to join rehearsals with all our students on the evenings of Monday and Tuesday 22 and 23 June (location: HKU Utrechts Conservatorium), Thursday afternoon 25 June (location: ZIMIHC Theatre Stefanus), and Sunday morning 28 June (location: Mariaplaats). Attendance at rehearsals is not mandatory, but we strongly recommend that everyone takes part in at least one session.
After you register, we will keep you informed about the repertoire and how to prepare. You can sign up via the form at the bottom of this page.

Everyone can join!

You can also join the music spectacle Treasure of Utrecht without any preparation. All members of the public are welcome to walk along with the musical parade from Domplein to Mariaplaats. And anyone with vocal cords is invited to find a shared fundamental tone during the musical highlight of the final concert.
The concert will end with a single collective note rising from the voices of all attendants, rippling back and forth across Mariaplaats – creating a unique moment of musical connection for the people of Utrecht.

Sign up now!

Sign up here below as a singer or instrumentalist to join us in our music spectacle Treasure of Utrecht. Have fun, and see you on Sunday 28 June!