Click above invitation for large version to print.
About Monument House Concert Series:
The Monument House Concert Series was launched in the summer of 2006 by the piano guitar duo of Robert Bekkers and Anne Ku as a private venue to introduce art music involving either the piano or the guitar in an intimate and relaxed setting to audiences in the Netherlands. Two public themed concerts are produced per year with private concerts throughout the year. Sponsors and collaborators are sought to stage a programme several times to reach a bigger audience.
The carefully renovated monument house at Keulsekade 25, near "Utrecht Centraal" station, was built by the Dutch National Water Board for its employees in 1903. With a breathtaking view of the peaceful canal between Lombok and Oog in Al, the three-storey house offers a restored Steinway Grand Piano (188 cm, model A New York 1909), high ceilings and centrally-heated European oak floors.
Numerous musicians from the Netherlands and abroad have enquired about performing and recording here. This is a nonsmoking venue with free parking under the cool shade of centennial linden trees. The front and back gardens are beautiful in the spring and summer.
DIRECTIONS TO THE MONUMENT HOUSE.
WANTED:
If you have a space you would like to use for such cozy house concerts but would like some help and advice , let us know. We believe in creating new opportunities for musicians to perform, artists to exhibit their works, writers to talk about their books, etc. We would love to help you kick start a house concert series with our music and musicians we have worked with.
DIRECTIONS to Elsbeth's house:
Inside Utrecht Centraal station: walk towards ascending platform numbers past the last one (number 19) and towards Jaabeursplein exit. On the way, you will pass many shops on your right until you get to an escalator going down. At the bottom, you will see Beatrix Theatre on your left and a bus station on your right. Walk diagonally to the right, parallel to parked busses until you get to main street. Walk on the right side pavement of the multi-lane street so that the big buildings are on your left. At the lights, you see a sign for Geldmuseum. Cross the multi-lane street through the lights. This is Damstraat. Immediately turn left, crossing Damstraat, to get to the beginning of a canal. You see the sign for Geldmuseum and follow it on this road which is Leidsweg, parallel to the canal. The houses on your left are numbered consecutively. You will pass a windmill on the right and a bridge. Before you get to the second bridge, you will see 84 Leidsweg on your left. If you keep going you will get to the Geldmuseum which is a big monument building at the corner where the canals meet. GOOGLE MAP or MAP with red walking route
Free parking is in areas numbered Leidsweg 96 and above, on the other side of the MUNT Bridge. It's not recommended to take the bus or taxi. It's only one tram stop though. Give yourself 10 to 15 minutes by foot, to be sure.
latest update: 25 June 2011
HOT OFF THE PRESS! NEW COLOUR POSTER! one page PDF with links HERE.
Reserve exotic dinners euro 18. Concerts 12 euros. Use High Note Live concert management and reservations website to reserve. Robert Bekkers, opening act! Raffle prizes: BodySports passes, Ton van den Ijssel discounts, Monument House Glass Mugs, CDs. Panel discussions between dinner and concert on topical issues related to classical music and musicians.
TWO CONCERTS ON 1st and 2nd July 2011 with exotic cuisines and organic wines!
- Friday 1 July 2011 Body of Your Dreams Concert
Nathanael May performs Jacob ter Veldhuis' sought-after work for piano and click-track "BODY OF YOUR DREAMS" in the Monument House. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Borrel. Organic Wines. Silent auction items. Concert starts at 8:15 pm (no intermission). Raffle. Artist-in-residence fellowship fundraising. Traditional Andalucian dinner at 6 pm (optional). To reserve, visit HERE. - Saturday 2 July 2011 Kinsella Concert
Brendan Kinsella performs Rzewski, Liszt, Poulenc, and Beethoven. Concert starts at 8:15 pm (no intermission). Raffle. ARtist-in-residence fellowship fundraising. Authentic Vietnamese dinner before concert (optional from 6 pm). To reserve, visit HERE. - Sunday 3 July 2011 3 pm
Trio Afternoon Tea (soprano, harp, French horn) debuts, followed by new piano duets from CALL FOR SCORE and Call for Pianists. Career workshop for musicians by Dr Nathanael May. More HERE. Panel discussions on future of classical musicians (given budget cuts), work-life balance for musicians, how to do concert tours, and practical advice/critique for musicians. Authentic Egyptian dinner at 6 pm (optional).
"House concerts for art music: multiple stakeholders, audience development, and sustainability" paper presented at the Cultural Economics conference in Copenhagen
15-page PDF (388 kB)
For the July 2011 house concerts, we are using and giving feedback to a new concert management and reservation system called High Note Live.
Follow us on TWITTER. Or simply visit our BLOG.
Salon concerts: another name for house concerts? 2 February 2011
Join the new Linked-In group: Concert Producers World-wide
RESERVE 4th of JULY 2011 WEEKEND - 1, 2, 3 July for house concert! & organic wine tasting
Bekkers Piano Guitar Duo live on Houston Public Radio 31 Dec 2010
House concerts: a cottage industry, 3 January 2011
2010: a year in reflection, 31 December 2010
On cocooning, house concerts, social media networking, & music: KPFT radio interview
Guides for producing a house concert, 15 October 2010
The handy man can, Bon Journal 30 August 2010
Impromptu barbecue and concert for Ayyub Malik's 75th birthday, 21 August 2010
House concert for your friends, 1 August 2010
Turn your home into an art gallery and concert hall, 26 July 2010
House concerts for parents with children, 26 July 2010
What makes a great concert? part one: concert organisation, 18 July 2010
Saturday 14 August 2010 from 4 pm onwards
Solo exhibition and house concert
Iraqi artist Yousif Naser and Dutch classical guitarist Robert Bekkers
Victorian cottage in London W13 9XW
House Concerts in Amsterdam: piano + guitar; violin + guitar
Sunday 25 July 2010 @ 15:00 Funen Park 125 (1-page PDF)
Thursday 29 July 2010 @ 20:30 Bickersgracht 10 (1-page PDF)
Completing the trio: music, barbecue and acrobatics, 24 July 2010
Thursday
15 July 2010 Completing the trio (by invitation only)
Brahms Horn Trio, Mendelssohn Piano Trio, Piazzolla Trio
CONCERT BLOG
Video from Glass Vase Concert, 29 June 2010
Final exam concerts at Utrecht Conservatory 14 June 2010
Future of music business models: contact with your fans 7 June 2010
Is a house concert an idea virus? 7 June 2010
New business model for classical music: house concert? 7 June 2010
The economics of producing house concerts 5 June 2010
Musicologist reviews Glass Vase Concert, 3 June 2010
House concert producers at Glass Vase Concert, 2 June 2010
Egyptian dinner at house concert in Utrecht, 1 June 2010
Outsource and automate, 27 May 2010
Are house concerts profitable? 25 May 2010
The guestbook after the Glass Vase Concert, 24 May 2010 LEAVE A REPLY!
Concert exposure to weather risk, 21 May 2010
Saturday 19 June 2010 Hatha yoga with Krishna (by invitation only)
Yoga at the Monument House Utrecht (part one), 1 July 2010
Yoga at Monument House Utrecht (part two), 2 July 2010
Glass Vase Concert
supporting young musicians in their careers
a dozen musicians giving 4 different concerts
harp, voice, piano, French horn, cello, guitar
Sunday 23 May 2010 from 14:00 to 23:00
Silent auction: Watercolour collage print by Frances Ku
Come to any or all concerts. FREE ENTRY.
Doors open at 14:00
14:30 - 15:30 Tenor + piano; piano solo; French horn+piano
15:30 - 16:00 Coffee / tea break
16:00 - 17:00 harp, Baroque cello duo, guitar
17:00 - 17:30 Coffee / tea break
17:30 - 18:30 Alto + piano; piano solo; piano + guitar
18:30 - 20:00 Egyptian dinner: € 15 (reserved) or €20 (unreserved)
20:00 - 20:30 vocal + piano +cello
20:30 - 23:00 free for all + improvisationNew!!!! one page PDF of flyer invitation
Suggested donation 10 euros per concert
Home brewed beer served only in Monument House Glasses €10
Wine €1 per glass; Home brew beer €1 per serving
Bekkers Piano Guitar Duo CD SUMMER on saleCONCERTBLOG:
Who is joining us for the Egyptian dinner? 21 May 2010
From caricature to watercolour 12 May 2010
Glass Vase Concerts: what to expect 9 May 2010
Music at the Glass Vase Concert 6 May 2010
16-page Programme Booklet containing musicians' biographies: PDF size 324 kB
6 page programme notes containing composers and their works: PDF size: 210 kB
Saturday 17 April 2010 @ 20:00 for 20:30 music
Leidsweg 84 UTRECHT
4-page programme booklet (PDF)
5 minute MUNT walk west of Utrecht Centraal station ** how to get there **
Metered parking, but FREE across the bridge in Oog in Al - Leidsweg 95 and above
HUISCONCERT PLUS SOLD OUT!
MUsic + aMUses
muziek + amuses
piano + guitar + art + hapjes +drankjes
featuring Hummel/Giuliani Grand Potpourri National
from the famous Dukaten Concerts of Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
aMUses: homemade gourmet hors d'œuvres from the Mediterranean
in two "heren" houses near the MUNT, Utrecht
One hour of live music of Bekkers Piano Guitar Duo in the home of
Dutch artist Elsbeth Carp who specialises in painting wall murals
Thanks to Douw Egberts providing SENSEO coffee and various teas.
After the concert, we walk to the home of Ivo and Paulien
who specialise in home-made gourmet cooking
to enjoy conversation over wine and Mediterranean finger food.
- Music and amuses house concert in Utrecht (concertblog, 15 May 2010)
- House concert: muziek en amuses (concertblog, 13 May 2010)
- The day before the concert in Utrecht (concertblog, 16 April 2010)
- Inviting Rotarians to concert (concertblog, 24 March 2010)
- Reviving the Grand Potpourri National (concertblog, 14 Mar 2010)
- Concert announcement or invitation (concertblog, 11 Mar 2010)
- Next stop: Utrecht open for art music (concertblog, 21 Feb 2010)
- House concert for an artist (concertblog, 12 Jan 2010)
- Sold Out! Full house! Standing room only! (concertblog, 14 Dec 2009)
Sunday 13 December 2009 16:30 for 17:00 Concert
Afternoon a la Rus: Maria Podznyakova plays concert harp
€15 includes mulled wine, refreshments & Monument House Glass Mug
Reservations & prepayment to guarantee a seat.
More details on 1 page PDF (ENGLISH) (NEDERLANDSE)
Concertblog: invitation to a concert (5 Dec 2009)
Blogs: Monument House Concert Series
Current exhibition: photographs by Liz Miller
Call for proposal:
next house concert
WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
- Concert conversations, 9 October 2009
- The music after the concert, 5 October 2009
We welcome our guest, Derek Gripper, classical guitarist ...
Saturday 3 October 2009 SOLD OUT
2 pm Guitar masterclass and workshop
6 pm Vegetarian dinner
8 pm Guitar solo concert (and duo with Robert Bekkers) & supporting acts to welcome Derek GripperReservations and enquiries: info@pianoguitar.com
Masterclass participants (45 min lessons) euro 40 (includes all refreshments, guitar workshop, and evening concert)
Masterclass observers: euro 25 (includes all refreshments, guitar workshop, and evening concert)
Vegetarian dinner with Derek: euro 10
Evening concert: euro 10 (includes refreshments)South African wines by Van Wageningen en de Lange of Utrecht.
SENSEO coffee provided by Douwe Egberts, Sara Lee of Utrecht.More information in English (1 page): PDF and Word Document
Meer informatie in het Nederlands (1 pagina): PDF en WordLatest reviews: Soliloquies for the Soul, 21 Sept 2009
CONCERTBLOG:
Hosting our next house concert (part one), 20 September 2009
Hosting our next house concert (part two), 21 September 2009Friday 2 October 2009
Guitar masterclass and solo guitar concert in Pier K Music School,
Nieuw-VennepThursday 1 October 2009 EXTRA DATE DEREK GRIPPER IN CONCERT
Doors open 19:30
Music begins at 20:00
Dutch cheese and South African wines served.
Herenhuis in JP Coenstraat 115C LOMBOK - first spillover concert€10 cash at door (includes wine & cheese)
Reservatons required
More information in English (1 page): PDF and Word DocumentMeer informatie in het Nederlands (1 pagina): PDF en Word
2009: Centennial birthday of Steinway to Heaven, resident instrument at Monument House, Utrecht:
sightreading workshop and competition, call for multi-hand one piano sheet music, and pianists --- date to be announcedCONCERTBLOG 12 August 2009
House concerts in the Netherlands, Madrid, Houston, etc.Saturday 21 March 2009
A cross domain exploration through video and music
Reception, performance, and discussion: by invitation onlyCONCERTBLOG 17 Feburary 2010: review with video clip from EFFUSION
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Chinese Seafood Banquet
10th anniversary of analyticalQ.comSunday 15 March 2009
Tenth anniversary of analyticalQ.com
A celebration of self-expression for 1st-novels-in-progress: by invitation only
Afternoon tea with home-made baked goods
Tapas and music of Spanish composers for guitar and pianoSunday 29 June 2008 from 16:30 to 18:00
Afternoon Recital: piano students of Anne Ku and Olga de Kort-Koulikova
and guest performers: soprano, violinist, guitarist, and pianist
Download 2-page PDF programme notes (184 kB)Sunday 15 June 2008 from 15:00 to 18:00
A Midsummer Tea Concert
Bach, Berio, Brahms, Chopin, and Ravel on piano, violin, and harp
Download 2-page PDF programme notes(128 kB)Sunday 18 May 2008
Impromptu dinner with Vitaly Pisarenko, winner of Liszt Concours
"DUO FOR EXPORT" REVIEWS
Friday 16 November 2007
8 pm for 8:30 pmSaturday 17 November 2007
3 pm for 3:30 pm - children welcomeSaturday 17 November 2007
8 pm for 8:30 pm
Sunday 10 June 2007
Piano Recital: students of Anne Ku, Carol Ruiz Gandia, and Robert Bekkers (please be patient as it takes a while to download the photos, links to mp3's etc)Saturday 9 June 2007
Chamber Music Tapas Style, with tapas and sangria:
voice, piano, guitar, cello, violin, recordersSaturday 24 March 2007
Kitchen Concert: Robert Bekkers,
new solo guitar programme
Sunday 17 December 2006
The Piano as Orchestra,
featuring guitar, harp, and euphonium concertosSunday 10 December 2006
Piano Recital - students of Anne KuSunday 12 November 2006
Segall plays Sweelinck at private Chinese banquetSunday 2 July 2006
Introducing Duo46: Music of the Americas
with photographsSaturday 1 July 2006
Classical Guitar Masterclasses with Dr Matt GouldSaturday 17 June 2006
Monument House Open Day: Sangria at Sunset
housewarming party with chamber music and food
What are house concerts? Why house concerts?
- Rocking the House, 19 October 2008, For some touring musicians, playing concerts in fans' homes is an increasingly attractive complement to club gigs.
- Watch the CBS TV interview (August 2007) in which Fran Snyder of "Concerts in Your Casa" explains why musicians are eager to play in private homes with focussed audiences.
- Are House Concerts a Great Opportunity for You? article by Fran Snyder in The Muse's Muse Newsletter, January 2007
- Read the New York Times article (May 2006): Move the Furniture, the Band is Here
- Read the New York Times article (November 1999): Acoustic Music, Live from the Living Room
- Read the Houston Chronicle article (August 2006): Musicians and audiences alike make themselves at home at house concerts
- More articles and interviews about the what's and why's of house concerts
Also known as salon concerts:
- Chopin and his salon concerts, Polish Music Journal
- Close for comfort, Philadelphia City Paper, 16 Sept 2009
- Joshua Bell and Sting, New York Times, 22 January 2010
The garden house designed by Robert Bekkers in 2007 and finished in Spring 2008 was built as an independent, sound-proof space in the back garden of the Monument House. The first event to be held here was a self-expression workshop on 15th March 2009. Click for a musical video tour.
About the founders:
A graduate of the Conservatory of Maastricht, Robert Bekkers also studied contemporary music with Angelo Gilardino in Italy. While accompanying flamenco dance classes, Robert formed the group "IMPETU" consisting of 9 musicians and dancers, mixing flamenco and classical music. He has toured with Serenata Mexicana, Amstel Guitar Quartet, and Berdien Stenberg Orchestra. Since 2001, he and pianist Anne Ku have taken their Piano Guitar Duo to London, North Cyprus, Cape Town, Italy, Houston and Hawaii, Spain, Belgium, and throughout the Netherlands. In 2007, their piano guitar duo formed a trio with Korean violinist Naeon Kim. Bekkers plays a 2005 Jeroen Hilhorst concert guitar, custom-made for the duo. Robert is actively involved in chamber music with mezzo-soprano, flute, violin, oboe, and other instruments as well as arranging music for his various chamber groups.
Born in Brunei of Chinese parents, Anne Ku studied piano under Betsy Hermann in Okinawa and Randall Love at Duke University. She began accompanying choirs from age 12, followed soon after by wedding engagements as pianist and organist. A graduate of London Business School, she brings her passion for producing thematic house concerts from Houston and London to the Netherlands. Anne concluded her composition studies in June 2008 at Utrecht Conservatory with a final exam containing premiere of her second chamber opera, Culture Shock! She continues to write didactic music and arrangements for her private piano teaching practice which is focussed on sight-reading, the topic of her diploma thesis. Her ensemble piece "All Tuned Out" premiered in the Vredenburg was broadcasted on Dutch Radio 4 in spring 2007. Her works have been performed in Utrecht, London, Slovakia, Honolulu, and Cortona. She reviews operas, competitions, and music festivals for Le Bon Journal, an online publication she founded in 2001.
Directions to the Monument House:
updated 14 July 2010
By train to Utrecht Centraal Station, then walk (20 min) or cycle or bus/taxi (10 min) through Lombok via Kanaalstraat or along canals to the west. The house is located between the popular Kanaalzicht Kafe at the corner of Groeneweg and Keulsekade and the thrift shop (charity shop) called "Emmaus" close to the "Laan van Nieuwe Guinea" bus stop. Note: Keulsekade is next to a long canal and our section is a dead-end street.
Note: Lombok is probably the most famous area in the 2,000 year old cobbled-stoned city of Utrecht. In the 1990's it became headline news in the Netherlands for successful multi-cultural integration.
By foot from Utrecht Centraal Station, walk in direction of increasing platform numbers and exit on the Jaarbeurs Beatrix Theatre side. Go north, crossing traffic and you can choose to turn immediate left for the longer but scenic route, to walk along the canal (on your right hand side) or, for the shorter route through shops, turn (a bit later) left onto Kanaalstraat and left onto Groeneweg to the end, and the right onto Keulsekade.
For the scenic and longer route, if you walk along the canal you will soon see a windmill on the other side and the National Mint Museum, or MUNT in Dutch, on the left (same side as street). Cross the bridge ahead and then the one on the right which passes by the Oog in Al park. And then turn right onto a much bigger pedestrian/cyclist bridge which leads you to the popular pub/cafe. 20 minutes.
By bus from Utrecht Centraal Station, bus number 4 (six per hour during office hours in the week) in direction of Cartesiusweg through Lombok and get off after the bridge and the only church (on left) at Laan van Nieuwe Guinea, cross the street, walk towards the canal and then to your left along the canal. It's two strips on the "strippenkaart" (from any KIOSK at the station, cheaper & more convenient for all bus, metro, tram in the country - and many people can share one such ticket) or 1.60 euro to the bus driver. 10 minutes.
There are other buses that stop on the next parallel road north from here: 5, 39, 28, 37. Get off at Van Koetsveldstraat and walk forward then cross the road to go south on Groeneweg until the end which intersects Keulsekade. It's the second house on the right.
By taxi from Utrecht Centraal station, be sure to walk to the Beatrix Theatre or Jaarbeurs exit of the train station (increasing platform numbers) - i.e. due west. It should cost 7.50 euros. There is a maximum fare of euro 12.50 from the station to anywhere in Utrecht. Be sure to mention the Groeneweg end of Keulsekade otherwise the taxi driver may take you to the other end and cost much more!
By car on A2 motorway, exit Oog in Al, after the bridge, pass the Douwe Egberts coffee factory and the GAMMA home improvement store. At the junction facing a huge church, cross over to Vleutensweg and then turn right into Groeneweg heading south. This street hits Keulsekade at its end, where you will see a pedestrian/cyclist bridge over the canal. There's a popular local pub Kafe Kanaalzicht at the corner on your left. You want to turn right onto Keulsekade, parallel to the canal, and the house is the second one there: number 25. This is a dead end street.
Since April 2011, it is no longer FREE to park in the area. Monday to Saturday 9 am to 9 pm, euro 2.29 per hour to park (use your debit card in the machines.)
The house is on the same street, minutes away from the famous second-hand store Emmaus and near the Oog in Al park. Try Routenet.nl and type the postal code: 3531JX. Or use 9292ov or google maps.
Link to map