De Duif, Amsterdam

Beautiful venue overlooking the canals. It’s dated from the 17th century. A fantastic place for to take a small breather.

Concert: PORTICO QUARTET. Seated concert in this incredible church building. The acoustics helped convert their immersive sounds. It was hard to stay seated during the climax passages of the music. A single performer performance was something I have not experienced. This format worked well for music which contains long and wandering segments. The only downside was a hiccup with the sound. A couple of times there was a loud bang before the concert started which sounded like a cable being disconnected. Another issue I had was the size and position of the sound reinforcement, It needed to be higher so offer better coverage of the whole audience. I am not sure that the small floor standing arrays were enough for the size of venue. That said, live sound always comes with restraints, maybe they had limited access to system or mounting ability. I am a tough critic in this field. A brilliant evening. Thanks to the staff, sound engineers and Portico Quartet.

Amazing venue, breathtakingly beautiful with great acoustics. Based in a former church, this has all the splendour you can expect! Watch out for very small steps around the place though, it can be very easy to miss and then trip.

Location looks cool, but many things wrong. Not good for bigger people, not exactly new. Stairs etc. Were not trustworthy. Toilets were tiny.

This is a magnificent old church building restored for hosting events such as recitals and concerts. Truly a must see. De Duif is a truly magnificent church on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. It was built in 1857 in the neoclassicist style and has a neo-baroque facade. Until 1974 it was the Roman Catholic St. Willibrorduskerk but because of lack of funds it fell into decline and was closed until restoration in 2006. Since then, other than being open for Sunday morning worship, it has been rented for various events. The modest appearance of the old Church conceals a surprisingly large interior and in fact, because of its size, it can cater for events with hundreds of visitors. It's large internal volume also gives the building great acoustic qualities which can be adjusted by way of a newly installed adjustable suspended acoustic ceiling. This makes the building perfect for recitals and concerts including chamber choirs, symphony orchestras, classical music and singers, opera and dance performances etc. It truly is a hidden gem on the Prinsengracht.