Amsterdam Canal Festival (Grachtenfestival) 2012 Begins

When in Amsterdam....the Canal (Grachten) Festival is held for one week in August. The festival celebrates Amsterdam as the cultural capital of the Netherlands. 15 years ago the original aim was to create a 3 day platform for young classical musicians and incorporate cultural activities into the landscape of Amsterdam.

This year the festival is 10 days of classical music, dance and theatrical performance. There are both paid and free performances during the event. The festival is concentrated around the Klovinersburgwal but events are spread throughout the city.

Today we caught violinist Lonneke van Straalen and cellist Jan-Bastiaan Neven play a suite by Stravinsky.

Violinist Lonneke van Straalen and cellist Jan-Bastiaan Neven

We also saw clarinetist Sergio Hamersla play a selection of music by Fuchs.

Clarinetist Sergio Hamerslag 

The Canal Festival culminates in a grand concert on the World Heritage listed Prinsengracht with the Westerkerk as a backdrop. The below Youtube clip shows the concluding concert to the 2011 Canal festival.

Keep posted for more highlights.

When in Amsterdam...enjoy!