News of: Thursday, June 16 2005,
This evening the Queen has officially opened the new theatre Muziekgebouw aan het IJ.
The Queen opened the building by sounding a large Chinese gong.
The Muziekgebouw building replaces the old IJsbreker theatre, and also contains the Bimhuis, Holland's most important jazz stage. Officially they are 2 separate theaters, but they are interconnected. The building also houses offices of various music companies and organizations.
The Muziekgebouw has already been praised for its location (along the water at the back of the Central Station) and its acoustic qualities, it makes use of the latest technology. The main hall (735 seats) has a ceiling that can move up and down, walls that can move in and out, and a floor that can be horizontal or tilted. This way the sound effects can be varied to suit various kinds of music.
The Muziekgebouw will mainly concentrate on contemporary music, but also old music will find its place here.
