On Thursday, May 16, officials at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw hall reinstated Jerusalem Quartet's concert that had been canceled over safety concerns.
The Jerusalem Quartet will play at The Concertgebouw on Saturday, May 18, with heightened security, rearranged visitor flow, and an adjusted starting time. The Concertgebouw website will also broadcast the performance.
The Concertgebouw canceled the ensemble's performance, citing the threat of protests connected to the Israel-Gaza war due to the reason that it could not guarantee the safety of performers, audience members, and staff.
The ensemble was initially scheduled to perform on Thursday (May 16) and Saturday (May 18). The cancellation prompted an outcry from musicians.
In an interview, Concertgebouw's general manager, Simon Reinink, said that the hall had changed its course after receiving securing commitments from law enforcement.
"Now we have enough confidence to proceed with it," he said. "It has everything to do with security. We were forced to crack the dilemma of security on the one hand and freedom on the other."
Supporting the hall's management of the incident, Reinink claimed that the cancellation "had nothing to do with antisemitism."
He added that they fought extensively to keep these concerts.
The Jerusalem Quartet said it was moved to tears by the outpouring of support worldwide from musicians of all profiles, from internationally famous names to anonymous amateurs.
Furthermore, the group expressed that every single voice has uplifted them. They said it is overwhelming to experience this extraordinary community to help remind the world of humanitarian values and artistic expression, which underlie everything they do and believe in.
The conflict served as the latest example of how the Israel-Hamas war has affected the performing arts. Cultural organizations have been under intense scrutiny about artists, programming, and money since the start of the war.
