Christmas with John Holiday and Amsterdam Sinfonietta
About the event
John Holiday meets Amsterdam Sinfonietta: in the Main Hall, Baroque gems by Bach and Vivaldi resound alongside The After Party by our composer-in-residence Carlos Simon. Two vibrant traditions, that of the Western Baroque repertoire and that of American Black music, meet here. This concert is an exciting journey, moving from familiar Baroque sounds to another, equally contemporary world. John Holiday and Amsterdam Sinfonietta
Unforgettable: American countertenor John Holiday and Amsterdam Sinfonietta at the Prinsengracht Concert in 2025. On the Amsterdam canals… Holiday is one of the fastest-rising stars in the opera world. He skillfully bridges genres, from Baroque to contemporary classical music, from jazz to spirituals. Holiday and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, formerly the Spotlight Ensemble at the Concertgebouw, celebrate Christmas together in the Main Hall. The program features music by Bach, Vivaldi, Gershwin, and composer-in-residence Carlos Simon, among others.
From Baroque to Carlos Simon
In The After Party, Carlos Simon has incorporated texts by poets of the Harlem Renaissance. The composer grew up within the African-American Pentecostal community, in which Christmas played an important role. In this program, The After Party serves as a counterpart to Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel, but also as a complement to them. Two vibrant traditions—that of the Western Baroque repertoire and that of American Black music—meet here. The Baroque harmonies are just as characteristic as Simon's, and in both works, emotions and atmosphere take center stage. This concert is an exciting journey from familiar Baroque sounds to another, equally contemporary world.
