Commemorating with Impact: Cappella Amsterdam and Combiwel Youth Work
In every Amsterdam neighbourhood lies a powerful network of residents, organisations, and initiatives. Combiwel Community Work plays a connecting and stimulating role within this network. Their mission is to strengthen communities by discovering talents, creating opportunities, and actively involving residents in their surroundings. Whether it’s youth work, neighbourhood initiatives, or social support, Combiwel works every day toward a resilient and caring society.
In Amsterdam’s Diamantbuurt, young people are making a difference. Thanks to the collaboration between Cappella Amsterdam and Combiwel Youth Work De Pijp, projects emerge in which music, social engagement, and personal stories come together. This partnership not only gives young people a stage but also a voice.
Commemorating with the Neighbourhood, Led by the Youth Themselves
The 4 and 5 May Youth Committee De Pijp has been actively involved in local commemorations for years. In 2024, they joined forces with Cappella Amsterdam. During a Freedom Meal, the ensemble provided a carefully chosen musical program featuring works by Sweelinck, Arvo Pärt, and Nielsen.
This was not a one-off project but the beginning of something bigger. In 2025, the young people took an active role in the premiere of De rechtvaardigen (The Just), a musical story about courage, choices, and the power of humanity. Based on the book of the same name by Jan Brokken, it was performed with the Berlage Saxophone Quartet under the direction of chief conductor Daniel Reuss. Both on stage and behind the scenes, the young people of Combiwel Youth Work De Pijp contributed to the production. Their stories, perspectives, and ideas were tangible and visible in the result.
“I pass the stories on to other young people. I hope that helps to make sure this can never happen again.”
– Zarnab (12), member of the youth committee
Social Engagement in Practice
The collaboration is based on equality. The young people bring in fresh ideas and lived experiences. Cappella Amsterdam, in turn, offers them guidance in organization, communication, content reflection, and artistic choices. This creates a mutual learning process that enriches both Cappella Amsterdam and the 4 and 5 May Youth Committee.
“Although we come from different cultural backgrounds, we are part of the same society,” says Mark Walraven, managing director of Cappella Amsterdam. “By making music together and commemorating important moments, we keep the conversation going.”
Mark Walraven and Zarnab at KoCo
Personal Involvement Makes the Difference
For young people like Sarah (23), Joey (26), and Zeinab (18), commemoration means more than looking back. They see parallels with their own family history, war experiences, or migration stories. Their involvement shows how remembrance can remain relevant and connecting for new generations. This year, Sarah and Joey are making a documentary about the ten-year anniversary of the youth committee—an initiative born out of their own motivation to keep stories alive.
Music as a Common Language
Music plays a special role in this collaboration. It offers space for emotion, imagination, and connection. By intertwining choral music with the personal stories of these young people, a new, future-oriented form of commemoration emerges—one that touches, connects, and invites dialogue.
Cappella Amsterdam Believes in Collaboration with the City
The collaboration with Combiwel Youth Work is part of a broader mission: making classical music accessible to all Amsterdammers, regardless of background or age. Through projects such as De rechtvaardigen and educational programs in the neighbourhood, Cappella Amsterdam invests in sustainable, meaningful relationships.
Would you like to collaborate with us on an inspiring music project in the city?
📩 Contact us via cappellaamsterdam.nl/contact
