The summer of 2026 is an exciting time for the Belgian National Orchestra. Thursday’s concert in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw felt less like the end of a season and more like a new beginning. Following Antony Hermus’ departure last month before starting a new chapter as Conductor Laureate alongside his new role as Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, one more chief conductor post becomes vacant in this small corner of Europe – both the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Netherlands Philharmonic posts are still to be filled. With the recent announcement of two new BNO Artistic Partners and a new Head of Artistic Planning, tonight’s annual visit, historically led by the chief conductor, launched a potential successor’s name into the ring: that of British conductor Alpesh Chauhan.
After a stylish opening to Louise Farrenc’s Overture no. 2, full of colourful contrapuntal entries and sprightly bassoon runs, it was Chauhan’s thoughtful and sophisticated reading of Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances after the interval which left its mark. From the very first note, Chauhan summoned a vivid sound world full of rasping horns and throaty winds. Even brass entries that had previously stumbled, now found a new assuredness. As clarinet flutters toyed with the Concertgebouw’s generous acoustics, dulcet alto sax strains filled the hall – with vibrato so carefully placed alongside oboe and clarinet colleagues that vibrations reverberated beneath our feet. The BNO, and especially the strings, were in their element. Hours of hard work in the rehearsal room reaped well-deserved rewards for the young Brit, making his Concertgebouw debut.
Chauhan seemed unafraid to take that moment longer when required. Pitting darkness against emphatic urgency and lilting swagger against luscious melodic lines, he wisely gave all on stage the freedom to find their own voice. Rachmaninov’s endless melodies found time to breathe. His assured presence brought quiet calm as three chiming bells of doom depicted the composer’s own thoughts of an afterlife in this, his final major work before his death three years later. Navigating endless changes of meter and mood, swirling harp glissandi gave way to bass clarinet terror, sending chills down the spine. A jubilant finale led to rapturous applause. Chauhan’s return visit to the orchestra’s home turf in December is definitely one to watch.
The second debut of the evening fell to Italian-Dutch pianist Saskia Giorgini performing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. Thundering opening chords and cascading flourishes – not without blemish – burst forth. Having made the stage her own, a quirky second theme meanwhile gave an illuminating window into her natural relationship with both the orchestra and Chauhan. Moments of calm and her lilting response to three charming cellos in the Andantino built towards a perfectly timed climax before charging headlong to the close. Her pensive reading of October from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons transfixed the hall. No phones, very few coughs. You could have heard a pin drop.
