Just weeks after the dissolution of the Greek ERT orchestra, another European radio orchestra has suffered the same fate: the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is on the brink of collapse. The lights are also being turned out in Mallorca.
According to a report in the Australian trade journal "Limelight", the ensemble will give its last concert at the Royal Concertgebouw on July 14. The orchestra, founded in 2005 and led by Jaap van Zweden at the time, is a victim of the desolate Dutch state finances.
The orchestra, which won the prestigious national Muziekgebouw Prize in 2008 for its interpretation of Richard Rijnvos' "NYConcerto", has made a name for itself above all with its commitment to contemporary music.
As early as 2010, there were attempts to cut public funding for the orchestra. This was prevented at the time.
The closures of state-funded orchestras in Holland and Greece are not the only ones in Europe. The Orquesta de Baleares in Mallorca, which is also no longer receiving public funding, is also being liquidated.
