Utrecht Early Music Festival

Lees in het Nederlands

The Utrecht Early Music Festival is one of Europe’s leading festivals for historical music. In 2026, the festival will take place from 28 August to 6 September, with a programme themed “Giving Voice”. 

The theme refers to Les voix humaines by French Baroque composer Marin Marais. In this work, he lets the human voice be heard through the strings of the viola da gamba. This paradox forms the starting point for the festival: throughout the centuries, music has always been a way of making the human voice audible, in song, but also through instruments and other sound sources.

Throughout music history, diverse voices have come together. From Gregorian monody and troubadour lyricism to lute songs, airs de cour, masque traditions at European courts and the semi-operas of composers such as John Blow and Henry Purcell. Voices can be interwoven equally, as in Franco-Flemish polyphony, or organised hierarchically, as in the High Baroque.

The festival also explores who in history was given a voice and who was not. For a long time, women were not allowed to sing in the Catholic Church and were replaced by boy sopranos or castrati. Other voices, such as those of enslaved or oppressed communities, have often only been preserved indirectly in melodies and rhythms. During the festival, ways will be sought to allow these voices to be heard again.

In addition to concerts with international soloists and ensembles, the festival invites the audience to participate. A festival choir will be formed in which amateur singers rehearse and perform alongside professionals. This makes Giving Voice not only a theme, but also a shared experience in which listening and singing come together.