The Dutch Ballet Orchestra, with Matthew Rowe as chief conductor, has a permanent core of forty-five musicians, supported by highly qualified guest performers when necessary. This gives the orchestra a unique character: flexible, dynamic and high-quality. The Dutch Ballet Orchestra connects music and dance to make an enchanting experience: from classical ballet to modern dance, from music education to talent development. An optimal synthesis of music and dance, this is the orchestra’s mission. The orchestra performs a broad repertoire with a prominent place reserved for the gems of ballet history, such as Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Le Sacre du Printemps from Stravinsky and Romeo and Juliette from Prokofiev. This repertoire is constantly supplemented with the best works from contemporary composers, selected by today’s leading composers. Consequently, the orchestra is able to reach dance enthusiasts and lovers of ballet music, as well as children and young people. The orchestra’s educational projects have won several (international) awards, such as the Young Audiences Music Award in 2016 for Creatures, a collaboration with dance company ISH.