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Ton Koopman brings Handel to Naarden

  • Marcel van den Broek
  • Sep 23
  • 2 min read

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Inaugural Dutch Händel Days with concerts, masterclasses, and highlights from the Koopman collection in an exclusive exhibition in Naarden Fortress



Naarden, 23 September 2025


From 10 October to 10 November 2025, Naarden Fortress will be wholly devoted to Georg Friedrich Handel (1685–1759) during the first-ever Dutch Händel Days. The German–English Baroque composer wrote 42 operas, 29 oratorios, and over 120 cantatas, trios, and duets. His celebrated oratorio Messiah remains beloved to this day, as does the iconic Zadok the Priest, which will be performed during the Händel Days.


The Comenius Museum, Ton Koopman, and the Nederlandse Händelvereniging (Dutch Handel Association) join forces for a month of music in the historic fortress town. The centrepiece is the exhibition “Handel in Naarden. From the collection of Ton Koopman.” Masterpieces from Koopman’s personal collection—including musical books, prints, original manuscripts, and even a harpsichord from his own home—bring Handel vividly to life.


Alongside the exhibition there will be concerts and masterclasses in the St.-Vituskerk (various dates) and the Grote Kerk Naarden (Royal Handel on 25 October 2025, 20:00). Families can enjoy a free musical treasure hunt for children. The Comenius Museum will also offer special guided tours led by Ton Koopman and curator Anna Bianco.



Ton Koopman: 80 years of Baroque passion



Ton Koopman (Zwolle, 1944) is a world-renowned authority on Baroque music, founder of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, and famously performed all of Bach’s cantatas. Over the past year he marked his 80th birthday with a festive Handel oratorio triptych: Esther (2024), Deborah (May 2025), and Athalia (October 2025).

(Photo Ton Koopman: Foppe Schut)



Practical information






With grateful support



The Dutch Händel Days are made possible with the generous support of Gemeente Gooise Meren, Stichting De Boomgaard, Stichting Händel-Renaissance, the Lakeland Foundation, and with loans from Ton Koopman and the Orpheus Institute Ghent, Belgium.

 
 
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