AMSTERDAM (AP) — From the stage of Amsterdam’s historic concert hall, violinist Hyunjin Cho and cellist Efstratia Chaloulakou look out over row after row of young faces illuminated by the glow of laptop screens.
The plush red seats of the Concertgebouw’s main auditorium are occupied by students cramming for upcoming exams and finishing dissertations as classical music fills the hall.
kAm%96 DEF56?ED 2C6?’E 36:?8 CF56 3J :8?@C:?8 E96 >FD:4:2?D] pE E9:D 6G6?E[ E96J’C6 >62?E E@ 36 DEF5J:?8 — 2?5 E96 >FD:4 😀 :?E6?565 E@ 2DD:DE C2E96C E92? 5:DEC24E E96>]k^Am
kAm%96 DEF5J D6DD:@?D H6C6 7:CDE @C82?:K65 5FC:?8 E96 r~’xs\`h A2?56>:4 3J t?EC66[ E96 J@FE9 2DD@4:2E:@? @7 E96 r@?46CE863@FH[ E@ 96=A DEF56?ED :>AC@G6 E96:C 4@?46?EC2E:@? 2?5 :?EC@5F46 E96> E@ E96 492C>D @7 4=2DD:42= >FD:4]k^Am
kAm%96J 92G6 366? 2 9:E 6G6C D:?46]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 2 C646?E D6DD:@?[ >FD:4:2?D A=2J65 v6C>2? 4@>A@D6C y@92?? !2496=36=’D r2?@? 😕 s[ D@>6 w2?56= 2?5 $49F36CE 2?5 6G6? 2 =:EE=6 >@G:6 >FD:4 7C@> $EF5:@ v9:3=: 2?:>2E:@? 7:=>D 7@C 8@@5 >62DFC6] %96 D@F?5D 7:==65 2 DA246 H9@D6 H2==D 2C6 564@C2E65 H:E9 E96 8:=565 ?2>6D @7 72>@FD 4@>A@D6CD 7C@> #2G6= E@ |29=6C[ (28?6C E@ |@K2CE]k^Am
kAm%96 >FD:4 96=A65 a`\J62C\@=5 zJC2 |F=56C 7@4FD @? 2 AC@;64E 7@C 96C @44FA2E:@?2= E96C2AJ 568C66 2E E96 p>DE6C52> &?:G6CD:EJ @7 pAA=:65 $4:6?46D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 24EF2==J G6CJ 42=>:?8 2?5 96=A:?8 😕 4@?46?EC2E:?8 @? E96 H@C< E92E H6 92G6 E@ 5@[ H9:49 😀 D@>6E9:?8 E92E DFCAC:D6D >6 3642FD6 ?@C>2==J x 5@?’E C62==J =:DE6? E@ 4=2DD:42= >FD:4[Q |F=56C D2:5] “$@ E92E’D 2 ?6H 6IA6C:6?46 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAmpD E96 >FD:4:2?D A=2J65[ >@C6 DEF56?ED H2?56C65 :?E@ E96 4@?46CE 92==[ D@>6 4=FE49:?8 4FAD @7 4@7766 2=@?8 H:E9 E96:C 4@>AFE6CD 2?5 3@@
kAm“xE’D @?6 @7 E96 >2?J H2JD E@ H6=4@>6 J@F?86C 2F5:6?46D E@ E96 r@?46CE863@FH[” D2:5 E96 G6?F6’D 86?6C2= 5:C64E@C[ $:>@? #6:?:?<] “p?5 :E’D DF49 2? :?DA:C:?8 A=246 E@ DEF5J H:E9 8C62E >FD:4 😕 E9:D H@?56C7F=[ 362FE:7F= 6?G:C@?>6?E]Qk^Am
kAmw6 9@A6D E96 6G6?E H:== 96=A G:D:E@CD DEF5J 3FE 2=D@ :?DA:C6 2 ?6H 86?6C2E:@? E@ 2AAC64:2E6 4=2DD:42= >FD:4 2?5 C6EFC? 7@C >@C6]k^Am
kAm“xE 😀 @?6 @7 H2JD E@ >@C6 @C =6DD D65F46 J@F?86C 2F5:6?46D E@ 5:D4@G6C E96 r@?46CE863@FH 2?5 9@A67F==J E96J H:== 36 6?E9FD:2DE:4 2?5 ]]] E96J H:== 4@>6 324<[” #6:?:?< D2:5]k^Am
kAm!C@76DD@C q2D q=@6>[ 2 ?6FC@=@8:DE 2E E96 #253@F5 &?:G6CD:EJ |65:42= r6?E6C 😕 E96 sFE49 4:EJ @7 }:;>686?[ D2JD E92E H9:=6 >FD:4 42? 5:DEFC3 D@>6 A6@A=6VD 4@?46?EC2E:@?[ :E 42? 96=A @E96CD E@ 7@4FD]k^Am
kAm“$@ :E’D ?@E 2 @?6 D:K6 7:ED 2==] p?5 x 5@?’E E9:?< :E’D 366? H6== C6D62C4965[ 3FE x E9:?< E96 C62D@? H9J >FD:4 😕 E96 324<8C@F?5 42? 36 D@ D@@E9:?8 2=>@DE[ 😀 E92E :E 4C62E6D 2 DE2E6 @7 7=@H[” 96 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am
kAmQp?5 x E9:?< >FD:4 😕 E96 324<8C@F?5 42? 96=A J@F E@ C6249 2 DE2E6 @7 7=@H] p?5 6G6CJ3@5J @HD H96? J@F C6249 2 DE2E6 @7 7=@H[ J@F 42? 8@ @? 6?5=6DD=J 2?5 36 6?@C>@FD=J AC@5F4E:G6]”k^Am
kAm|65:4:?6 DEF56?E %9:;>6? qC@6<>2? D2:5 E92E E96 >FD:4 4@>3:?65 H:E9 ;FDE 36:?8 D@>6H96C6 5:776C6?E 7C@> H96C6 96 FDF2==J DEF5:6D 96=A65 9:> 6?;@J =62C?:?8 2?5 >FD:4 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6] w6 D2:5 96 H2D?VE 5:DEC24E65 3J =:DE6?:?8 E@ >FD:4 2?5 DEF5J:?8 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 C62==J BF:6E 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 ?:46[ BF:6E >FD:4[Q qC@6<>2? D2:5] “$@ E92E 96=AD >6 E@ 4@?46?EC2E6]”k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.