Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi

The Nicolaïkerk is a historic church in the Museumkwartier of Utrecht, a district known for its concentration of museums and old city streets. The sources trace its origins to the 12th century, and it also carries later Gothic architecture, with some descriptions pointing to unique 14th century features. That layering of periods gives the interior the stone, height and acoustic character that people associate with older Dutch churches. Today the building is no longer used only as a place of worship. It serves as an events location where the historic setting acts as the backdrop for weddings, lectures, receptions, meetings and congresses, and it hosts concerts as well. Classical music is the main musical focus, and the church is a regular stop for candlelit concert series, where programs range from film music to Christmas classics, played in the dim light of the nave. Music has a long association with the building through its organ. One account of the church's history describes how the organ went from being an unwanted item to an essential part of worship and of an outstanding music program. That connection between the instrument and the congregation helps explain why the church built a reputation for musical activity well before it became an events venue. The Nicolaïkerk sits in the heart of the city and is a short distance from the larger contemporary music spaces such as TivoliVredenburg. Where those venues are purpose built halls for specific genres, the Nicolaïkerk offers something different: a compact, atmospheric historic interior suited to acoustic and classical performance, in a part of Utrecht where old architecture and cultural institutions sit close together.