The Netherlands has a rich classical (klassiek) music tradition. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) was a pioneering Renaissance-Baroque organist. The Concertgebouworkest (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) in Amsterdam is consistently rated among the world’s top orchestras. Dutch composers include Willem Pijper, Henk Badings, and contemporary minimalists like Louis Andriessen.
Dutch popular music spans multiple genres. Nederpop (Dutch pop music sung in Dutch) has a strong domestic tradition with artists like Boudewijn de Groot, Herman van Veen, and the Volendam pop sound. Dutch rock bands like Golden Earring (Radar Love) and Focus (Hocus Pocus) had international success. Modern Dutch artists: Douwe Bob (folk), Trijntje Oosterhuis (jazz/pop), S10 (representing the Netherlands at Eurovision).
The Netherlands is a world capital of electronic dance music (elektronische dansmuziek / EDM). Dutch DJs including Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Afrojack, and Hardwell dominate global DJ charts. Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is the world’s largest club culture conference. The Rotterdam-based gabber scene originated in the 1990s. Music vocabulary: het concert (concert), het festival (festival), de artiest (artist), de plaat (record), het podium (stage), optreden (to perform).