Conductor Gustavo Gimeno’s Amsterdam
Inside the musical haunts and storied museums of Oud-Zuid.
I moved to Amsterdam 24 years ago to study, and now split my time between here, Luxembourg – I am currently the music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg – and Toronto, where I’ll be starting with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra next September. In Amsterdam, I’m based in Oud-Zuid (Old South), the city’s cultural centre. All of the storied museums are here: the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum, as well as the Concertgebouw. It’s busy and active in front of the concert hall, but behind, where I live, it is calm, with peaceful streets, low buildings and lots of bicycles. For me, that’s an ideal combination.
Gustavo’s 5 Spots in Amsterdam
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Conservatorium Hotel —
used to be the site of the Sweelinck Conservatorium, where I studied, and then taught from 2002 to 2008. The [neo-Gothic] exterior is original, but inside, the corridors, shops and lighting are modern – the contrast is very special. Even if you’re not staying, it’s worth it to walk through or to have a drink at the bar. There’s a skincare store in the spot where I used to teach.
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Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam —
- always has something new, so every time I go, it feels like the first time. I like taking my daughter to this museum over others, because modern art feels fresh and surprising – there’s a room with vintage pinball machines for kids, too.
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Olive & Cookie —
- is a tiny vegetarian café with one long table in the centre – it’s like being in someone’s kitchen. The owners, a Serbian-Croatian couple, are always there, cooking and serving customers. Their chocolate and mascarpone cake is spectacular.
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Café Welling —
- a historic bar right behind the Concertgebouw, attracts many locals. I like to take people here for a gin because it’s authentic, old-style Amsterdam – it could be part of a museum. They also host small jazz performances.
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The Concertgebouw —
- is one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world because of its acoustics and the number of great artists who perform there. It sounds like a dream inside: It’s a big building, so the music is like smoke, diffused in a beautiful, warm and refined way.
