HAPPENING 26–27 SEP '26 | DoelenEnsemble will present three intimate musical experiences in Rotterdam on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September. HortusConcerts 2026 moves beyond the conventional concert hall with a meditative sound bath, an encounter between early jazz and new chamber music, and a performance exploring Piet Mondrian’s ideas about sound.
The programmes take place at Buitenplaats Rozenlust, a historic green estate near Het Park. One concert unfolds inside its salt crystal bunker on Westzeedijk, while the two longer performances take place in the main building on Parklaan. Together, they connect contemporary music with architecture, visual art, storytelling and moments of stillness.
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A sound bath in salt
Resonance in Salt opens the weekend on Saturday 26 September with several 30-minute sessions between 12:00 and 17:00. Two percussionists perform with singing bowls inside a chamber lined with salt crystals, where visitors can listen while seated or reclining.
The bunker’s thick walls and enclosed interior create a particularly quiet acoustic setting, allowing the overtones of the bowls to linger in the room. Regular tickets cost €20, while students pay €5. The sessions take place at De Bunker Zoutkliniek, Westzeedijk 110C.
Jazz meets a world premiere
That evening, From Creation of the World to World Premiere begins at 20:00 at Buitenplaats Rozenlust. The programme opens with Darius Milhaud’s La création du monde, a chamber work in which classical composition meets the rhythms and energy of early jazz.
The second half introduces a new work by Rotterdam composer Hans Koolmees, written for double bass, string quartet, saxophone and piano. The concert lasts until approximately 21:30. Tickets cost €34, with a reduced student price of €10.
Mondrian heard the future
HortusConcerts concludes on Sunday 27 September with Mondrian’s Prophetic Sound. Although Piet Mondrian is best known for his abstract paintings, he also developed forward-looking ideas about music and anticipated that electronic sound would transform musical expression.
Storyteller Vincent Bijlo guides the audience through Mondrian’s life, artistic philosophy and musical thinking as visual art, narration and contemporary chamber music come together. The performance runs from 15:00 to 16:30 at Buitenplaats Rozenlust. Regular admission is €34 and student tickets cost €10.
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The gardens and historic grounds of Buitenplaats Rozenlust in Rotterdam
Tickets and practical details
HortusConcerts takes place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026. Capacity for the salt chamber is naturally limited, and the other two concerts also take place in an intimate setting, so advance booking is recommended. More information, available time slots and tickets can be found at: https://www.doelenensemble.nl/hortusconcerten2026.
How to get there
Buitenplaats Rozenlust is located at Parklaan 11, close to Het Park, the Euromast and the Scheepvaartkwartier. The salt chamber has a separate entrance at Westzeedijk 110C, although it forms part of the same historic estate. Leuvehaven is the nearest metro station, and both entrances can also be reached easily by bicycle from Rotterdam Centraal.
