Orlando Festival

Since its foundation, Orlando has made an important contribution to the development and promotion of chamber music in the Netherlands and abroad.

Since the first edition in 1982, the heart of the Orlando Festival has been in Abbey Hotel and Conference Rolduc in Kerkrade, where all participants stay, and where the afternoon concerts, lessons, master classes and workshops take place.

Orlando also annually produces 1 to 2 compact discs with (live) recordings of interesting parts of the festival program.

In 2012 a new set-up was carried out, whereby there was no longer a pronounced youth and adult week, but all participants were present at Rolduc simultaneously.

)Since 2011, when this plan started in Canada, the name Gruppo Montebello has been used exclusively for an ensemble with carefully selected professional chamber musicians with whom Guittart realizes his long-term projects: performing and recording the large ensemble compositions of the three composers of the Second Viennese School: Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg for CD.

Not far from the abbey there are beautiful nature areas such as the Wormdal or the Anstelvallei with its slope forests, monumental farms, crystal clear stream and panoramic views of the Cranenweyer reservoir via the various hiking and cycling routes.

OESC offers young artists from the countries of the European Union in chamber music ensembles (2 to 9 musicians) an intensive course of about 30 hours of specialised education.

OESC takes place during the 10 days of the annual Orlando Festival, with chamber music lessons, master classes and coaching in several essential other skills.

This includes musical subjects such as HIP (historically informed performance) from baroque to 20th century repertoire, and all kinds of useful techniques and skills such as efficiency in rehearsing, knowledge of learning development, communication within the ensemble and dealing with mental and physical stress.