It’s been a while since I last posted here — not for lack of things happening, but quite the opposite. Between working on my PhD, coordinating the City Hosts in The Hague, and following the daily adventures of a very lively four-year-old, life has been rich, intense, and joyfully chaotic.
But today I’m especially excited to share something close to my heart.
From 10 October to 8 November 2025, the Comenius Museum in Naarden will host the exhibition Händel in Naarden: Objects from the Ton Koopman Collection, which I had the honour to curate in collaboration with the Nederlandse Händelvereniging.
The exhibition presents a unique selection of prints, manuscripts, portraits and musical iconography from the personal collection of Ton Koopman – one of the world’s leading interpreters of Baroque music. These objects open a window onto the sound world of Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759): his public triumphs, private networks, and the enduring power of his music to inspire devotion, satire, and spectacle.
Among the highlights:
- The earliest biography of Händel (Memoirs, 1761)
- A rare cantata manuscript “Ad uso di Serafino Agostini”
- Vue d’optique prints of firework displays and theatre interiors
- Satirical engravings and allegorical portraits
This exhibition is also, in many ways, a tribute: to the richness of printed music culture in the 18th century, to the visual imagination that surrounded Händel’s music, and to Ton Koopman, whose passion for collecting and performing this repertoire continues to shape how we hear and see Händel today.
P.S. There will be guided tours of the exhibition led by myself and Prof. Ton Koopman, as well as a series of related events, including concerts and special presentations. More details will follow soon – stay tuned!
Anna Bianco 