HKU Utrechts Conservatorium concludes 150th anniversary celebrations with city centre music festival

29 juni 2026

On Sunday 28 June, HKU Utrecht unleashed the grand finale of the 150-year HKU Utrechts Conservatorium celebration: Treasure of Utrecht.

The final spectacle of the 150th birthday of HKU Utrechts Conservatorium was a grand musical celebration in the city, with hundreds of participating students, teachers, alumni, as well as vovalists and musicians from all over Utrecht. After a dazzling musical parade through the city centre that attracted many spectators, it was time for a very special final concert in the large music hall of the Conservatorium: the re-première of a composition by Utrecht composer Louis Andriessen, which has been executed only once before.

Festive parade led by 17th century recorder flute music

Treasure of Utrecht started with a speech by Jos Schillings, director of HKU Utrechts Conservatorium, before a large audience at Domplein. After a short reflection on the history and the present of the Conservatorium, it was time for music. Music from Jacob van Eyck, to be precise: the 17th blind carillon player of the Dom Tower, performed today by flute player Robert de Bree. He entered a dialogue, accompanied by several students, with the carillon of Dom Tower. After playing a theme from the work of Van Eyck, Dom Tower repeated him note by note. This was the starting sign for the festive musical parade to Mariaplaats. Students, teachers, vocalists and musicians joined in, forming a long musical string of people throughout the streets of Utrecht centre. A constantly repeating theme from the classic 'Onder de linde groene' led the musicians and members of the public to the Mariaplaats. Dancers from the Musician 3.0 programme went ahead before the procession, backed up by percussion, wind instruments, vocals, string section and many more musicians.

Guided improvisation and closing chord in Fentener van Vlissingenzaal

Upon arrival at Mariaplaats, the group of gathered musicians took the stage in the main concert hall of the Conservatorium building. After a speech by Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma, the closing chord of the 150 year anniversary sounded. This consisted of two parts; the performance of a graphic sheet music piece composed by the Utrecht elementary school pupil Marie-Julie Berretty, followed by the repremiere of Red Rackham’s Treasure, a composition of perhaps the most famous composer Utrecht ever brought forth: Louis Andriessen.

The celebratory atmosphere last to the very end, when the lingering chord was sung by the musicians and singers on stage and enthusiastically joined by the audience. As a festive coda, the driving theme from Onder de linde groene by Jacob van Eyck rang out once more from the stage. After a short walk beneath the leafy plane trees lining Mariaplaats, performers and audience alike gathered in the courtyard of the Conservatorium’s main building for a festive reception.

More to come

HKU Utrechts Conservatorium will recover from all the festivities this summer, but from September on, its doors will be open again to the city. To stay up to date of all concerts you can enjoy, keep an eye on the concert agenda en abonneer je op de maandelijke concert newsletter . We hope to see you at our next venue!