This first edition of the Stairway to Music series is a very special one. Because of Reinbert de Leeuw’s birthday (8 September), the series is very much imbued with his spirit. The repertoire includes music by composers he loved, in addition to recent works. Indeed, Reinbert was always devoted to facilitating new works. The key common denominator? It’s all about music that has an effect on you one way or the other.

This fits perfectly with how the series came into being. Stairway to Music was inspired by a remarkable story related at the farewell gathering to commemorate Reinbert de Leeuw’s death. When Reinbert would play the piano in his flat, the other residents of the building would come and sit in silence in the stairwell to listen. Without even realizing it, the musician would share his music with his neighbours in an extraordinary intimacy in which distance actually served to intensify the overall experience. Although the musician himself was not visible, his spirit was all the more palpable.

Stairway to Music is an intimate listening experience lasting thirty to forty-five minutes on the beautiful staircase of the Muziekgebouw, a brief gathering of listeners as silent witnesses and of musicians sharing with one another the most beautiful gems in the repertoire. Like Reinbert’s neighbours, the audience members take their place on the stairs.