Autumn Week 2025 – Music as Encounter
From November 14th to 21st, 2025, the Musethica Autumn Week took place in Zeist and the surrounding area. The week was organised by the Zeister Muziekdagen as part of its long-standing collaboration with Musethica International. As in the spring edition, this autumn week focused on musical depth, social engagement, and bringing live chamber music to people for whom this is not self-evident.
Since 2019, the Zeister Muziekdagen has been a partner of Musethica International, an international educational initiative that offers young musicians the opportunity to develop through intensive coaching and a series of concerts in social institutions. Musethica brings classical music to places where it is rarely heard live, creating profound experiences for both musicians and listeners.
This edition featured the Hikari Quartet, consisting of Magdalena Riedl and Maximilian Beer (violins), Christian Wrona (viola), and Serena Fantini (cello). Throughout the week, the quartet was guided by Avri Levitan, violist and co-founder of Musethica International. His intensive involvement gave direction to both the musical process and the reflection on the social significance of the concerts.
Together, they worked on a repertoire of Joseph Haydn (String Quartet in C major, Op. 33 No. 3), Dmitri Shostakovich (String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108), and Antonín Dvořák (String Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97). By repeatedly performing these works at different locations and for very diverse audiences, the musicians learned to actively seek connection with their listeners.
In total, eight closed concerts were given during the autumn week at seven social institutions in and around Zeist. This allowed 308 people to experience live chamber music of a high artistic level.The concerts took place at:
• Huize Hoog Kerkebosch in Zeist, a residential care complex,
• The Military Rehabilitation Centre Aardenburg in Doorn,
• Correctional Institution Zeist,
• De Stuifheuvel in Zeist, a school for special education (two concerts),
• Reinaerde in Den Dolder, a residential and day-care facility for people with disabilities,
• The asylum seekers’ centre in Zeist,
• The Van der Hoeven Clinic in Utrecht, for forensic psychiatry.
At all locations, the musicians were received with great warmth and openness. The proximity of the ensemble, the informal setting, and the space for interaction made a deep impression on both audiences and staff. At Justitieel Complex Zeist, one of the detainees was so inspired after the performance that he wanted to play the piano himself, accompanied by the Hikari Quartet. The musicians were able to improvise expertly with him, and this was received with great enthusiasm by all listeners. All locations expressed strong enthusiasm and indicated that they would be very happy to welcome a Musethica Week again in the future.
The Musethica Autumn Week concluded with the Autumn Concert on 21 November 2025 in the Grote Kerkzaal of the Evangelical Brethren Church in Zeist.
With the Musethica Autumn Week 2025, the Zeister Muziekdagen once again gave strong expression to their social and educational mission.
