Interior of the Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam.
In Thursday’s (5/16) New York Times, Javier C. Hernández writes, “The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, said Thursday that it would allow the Jerusalem Quartet to perform, two days after it had canceled the ensemble’s concerts amid security concerns related to threatened protests. The Concertgebouw said in a statement that the Jerusalem Quartet would be allowed to perform on Saturday after all, with expanded security measures and a more robust police presence. The ensemble had originally been scheduled to perform on Thursday and Saturday, but the Concertgebouw canceled the engagement, saying it could not ensure the safety of audience members, musicians, and employees because of the threat of protests related to the Israel-Gaza war. The cancellation prompted an outcry … Simon Reinink, general manager of the Concertgebouw, said … that the hall had reversed course after securing commitments from the police…. The Jerusalem Quartet said … that it had been ‘moved to tears by the outpouring of support worldwide from musicians of all profiles … ’… The controversy was the latest example of the Israel-Hamas war’s impact on the performing arts. Since the start of the war, cultural institutions have faced heavy scrutiny over artists, programming, and funding.”
