Ciconia – The Hague String Orchestra
Dick van Gasteren, conductor
Hawijch Elders, violin
Concerts
Saturday 13 February 2027 – 20:00
Theater Hanzehof, Zutphen
Pre-program Speel-mee-met…Ciconia 19:15
TICKETS
Thursday 18 February 2027 – 20:15
Oudshoornse Kerk, Alphen a/d Rijn
WEBSITE
Saturday 20 February 2027 – 15:00 (matinee)
Nieuwe Kerk, The Hague
TICKETS
Sunday 21 February 2027 – 14:15 (matinee)
Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal, Amsterdam
TICKETS
Programme
GYULA BELICZAY (1835-1893) – Serenade voor strijkers, op. 36
FELIX WEINGARTNER (1863-1942) – Serenade in F-Majeur, op. 6
GEORGE ENESCU (1881-1955) – Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 (arr. Cristian Lolea)
NIKOS SKALKOTTAS (1904-1949) – Five Greek Dances (enkele delen)
BÉLA BARTÒK (1881-1945) – Divertimento voor strijkorkest
FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886) – Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2
In Echoes of the Balkans, Ciconia – The Hague String Orchestra and star violinist Hawijch Elders present a program of folklore, melancholy, and virtuosity. Travel back to the nineteenth century, when composers began rediscovering their musical roots and drawing inspiration from folk melodies that had resonated through the mountainous Balkans for centuries. Rhythmic richness, bold harmonies, and ancient modes come alive in works by Béla Bartók, George Enescu, and Zoltán Kodály.
Enescu had a deep fascination with Romani violin playing. His virtuosic Romanian Rhapsody receives a breathtaking interpretation by Hawijch Elders. Alongside Bartók’s monumental Divertimento, the program also features lesser-known gems by Károly Beliczay and the renowned conductor Felix Weingartner.
Hawijch Elders, violin
Hawijch Elders graduated cum laude from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied with Ilya Grubert. Since 2022, she has been an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, studying with Augustin Dumay.
Hawijch has already received numerous national and international awards. In June 2025, she won First Prize at the Premio Internazionale Antonio Mormone. Earlier distinctions include first prize at the 8th International Henri Marteau Violin Competition, the Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinists, and the prestigious Kersjes Violin Scholarship. She has also won prizes at the Odessa International Violin Competition, the 37th Premio Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition and the Oskar Back National Violin Competition. In addition, she was a laureate of the renowned Premio Paganini Competition in Genoa.
As a chamber musician, she has performed with distinguished artists including Sol Gabetta, Valeriy Sokolov, Bertrand Chamayou and Frank Braley. As a soloist, she has appeared with an impressive range of international orchestras, including the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Wiener KammerOrchester, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Belgian National Orchestra, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Phion.
Hawijch plays a violin by Gennaro Gagliano (Naples, c. 1755) and a bow by Dominique Peccatte (Paris, 19th century), both on loan from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation. The violin is part of the Willem G. Vogelaar Collection and the bow of the Tettelaar Collection.