This spring, the UvA-Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck, led by conductor Konradin Herzog, will play a spectacular program with the theme 'Who am I?', in which the concept of identity is explored through music. On June 11th in De Duif and on June 13th in Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam you can listen to the unique combination of Strauss' Don Juan, Musorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2. Strauss' powerful work Don Juan details the legendary womanizer Don Juan's search for an ideal wife. Don Juan is a true bon vivant, until he completely loses the courage to find a wife. Out of sheer desperation he commits suicide, bringing the play to a tragic end. Strauss masterfully brings Don Juan's life story and identity crisis to life through lush melodies. Next, star soprano Nataliia Shumska will solo in Musorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death. Together with the orchestra she takes you on a journey through the four parts of this dramatic song cycle, in which death is personified as different characters. Mussorgsky's Russian identity can clearly be heard in the piece. He wrote his work during times of great social unrest in Russia and incorporated his strong sense of nationalism into the music. It is ironic that Mussorgsky was never able to experience the premiere of his work: before it was completely finished, he died of excessive drinking. To conclude on a positive note, Rachmaninoff's expressive Symphony No. 2 will be played. This emotional symphony is imbued with the vibrant life energy that Rachmaninoff had recovered after a long depression. After a new start in Germany with his family and a number of successes in his career, Rachmaninoff manages to turn his life around and writes the most beautiful melodies, in which his feelings are the guiding principle. He knows how to express his own identity in his work in an exceptional way. Order tickets now and be inspired by this enchanting program in which you will be taken through various expressions of identity. The UvA-Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck was founded in 1878, making it the oldest symphony orchestra in Amsterdam. The Sweelinck Orchestra consists of about seventy enthusiastic students from universities and colleges from both Amsterdam and other cities who enjoy making music together at a high level.