Surprising & contemporary
Ciconia – The Hague String Orchestra turns every concert into an experience. With daring, thematic programs and a top level of performance, the orchestra captivates both national and international audiences. Music is effortlessly connected with theater, literature, and science, often inspired by current themes. The result is a concert that moves, surprises, and stays with you every time.
Ciconia is an international ensemble of 20 young top musicians that has been led by conductor and artistic director Dick van Gasteren since its founding in 2012. Since May 2026, the orchestra has continued under the name Ciconia – The Hague String Orchestra, having previously performed as Ciconia Consort. In everyday use, it is simply known as Ciconia. The orchestra has grown into a fixture in Dutch musical life, with the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague as its home base and performances throughout the country. Ciconia regularly seeks out unknown masterpieces and often brings them to Dutch concert stages for the first time. The emphasis lies on 20th-century music. For instance, Ciconia performed the world premiere of Willem Mengelberg’s Sinfonietta for string orchestra (CD: Ciconia Consort live in concert), as well as Dutch premieres of works by Isang Yuns Tapis and Jacques Castérède, among others.
Collaborations are central. Ciconia has worked with leading soloists such as Lavinia Meijer, Maria Milstein, Lenneke Ruiten, Viviane Hagner, Nikola Meeuwsen, Isabelle van Keulen, and Pieter Wispelwey, as well as with academics and writers such as Pieter Waterdrinker, Maarten van Rossem, and Rosita Steenbeek.
The five CDs released on the Brilliant Classics label were received with international acclaim and are regularly played on radio stations worldwide, in Australia, Taiwan, Europe, and the US. The live concert recording De Weg naar Hollywood, produced by the NTR, was broadcast nine times on television via NPO2 Extra.
Ciconia receives multi-year support from the Municipality of The Hague, operates in accordance with key cultural codes (Governance, Fair Practice, and Diversity & Inclusion), and holds ANBI status.
