Sounding of the gong marks start of Hortus Festival 2014

The sounding of the gong marks the start of the eleventh edition of the Hortus Festival, the Dutch greenest summer festival of chamber music that begins on July 23. Chairman, Willem Korthals Altes, sounds the gong.

The Hortus Festival program consists of 28 concerts to be held from 23 July to 31 August in the wonderful gardens Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam, the Oude Hortus in Utrecht, Hortus Botanicus in Leiden and Hortus Haren. This edition of Hortus Festival pays tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven. Nature was his biggest inspiration, he composed numerous works in nature. The festival theme this year is therefore Naturally Beethoven. Besides Beethoven, there are also natural Scandinavian work on the program include Grieg, Sten Hammer and the German-Danish composer Kuhlau.

Master pianist Ronald Brautigam opens Hortus Festival on Wednesday, July 23. Brautigam plays include Beethoven's Sonata No. 15, also known as the Pastoral, a work that is entirely inspired by nature.

For more information: www.hortusfestival.nl

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