Canto Ostinato is a minimalist composition by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012), written between 1976 and 1979. Its score consists of repeating modular sections that performers may combine freely, so no two performances are alike. The work has become the most-performed piece in Dutch contemporary classical music, and is now gaining wider international recognition through a growing number of recordings and arrangements.
NPR critic Tom Huizenga included the new recording by Metropolis Ensemble, Erik Hall and Sandbox Percussion on his best-albums list for the first half of 2026.
Metropolis Ensemble, Erik Hall and Sandbox Percussion released a new large-ensemble recording on the Western Vinyl label on April 3, 2026.
The performance of Canto Ostinato on four grand pianos in the Grote Zaal of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam on January 27, 2026 was sold out.
Pianist Helena Basilova presented a new version of Canto Ostinato during Amsterdam Dance Event 2025, combined with electronic textures and a light installation by Nick Verstand.
On September 13, 2025, a lying-down concert with Canto Ostinato took place at the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, performed by pianist Jeroen van Veen.
An evening-length lying concert of Canto Ostinato in a dune-set temple with exceptional acoustics - experience this meditative musical journey while reclining.
Simeon ten Holt's hypnotic classical composition Canto Ostinato is performed in the Martinikerk, a work defined by its mesmerizing repeating patterns.
