MusicBox is a cooperative that breaks down barriers surrounding conventional Classical music concerts. This manifests itself as both a concert series based in the Netherlands and a podcast called Outside the MusicBox. We believe that Classical music should be accessible and shared with all. Often people are discouraged to interact with Classical music based on elitist language, intimidating theatres, formal dress and expensive ticket prices. We aim to create open, inviting, safe spaces for people to come and enjoy a range of wonderful music that has been touching the hearts and minds of people for over 300 years!
One of our passions is connecting Classical music with other genres and art forms, such as folk and world music, visual art, and food and wine. So expect the unexpected! We also love to communicate and engage with our audiences on different deeper levels and invite a positive open musician-audience interaction to discuss and give insights into the process of creating music. For concerts, entry is always either by donation or with a low ticket price and there are no dress codes.
You don’t need to know how a violin works, when Mozart was born or where Beethoven lived, just come along and let us help you explore this music for yourself!
Emma Williams is an Australian artist based in The Hague, who plays violin and sings. She plays with lots of different groups in Europe and Australia and runs MusicBox with Chloe, which is both at times exhilarating and terrifying. Emma enjoys exploring new parts of the world and is known for her tea-making skills, making inventive cakes in her slow-cooker, and for pulling off the colour mustard. One of Emma’s obsessions is Schubert: his compositions, his life, and the world in which he was composing. She even wrote a fairly large thesis on him. She also needs nature to stay sane and happy in the world.
Chloe Prendergast is a violinist from the States who plays with many different people. Most of the time this is with either her string quartet called the Butter Quartet or Holland Baroque, both of which she loves a lot. She also loves running MusicBox and learning how to make podcasts with Emma. She likes listening to music, playing music, and talking about music as well as casual sock knitting, living room dance parties, and sunshine. Despite growing up in the mountains (or maybe because of that?) she has only recently discovered how much she enjoys them.
musicboxconcerts.com 