Ensembles

The Stockholm Saxophone Quartet has made a speciality of chamber music for saxophone – by composers from at home and abroad. They also specialise in advanced electro-acoustic music. The members of the Quartet have had over 700 works written for them.

A recurrent feature of their work is the close collaboration they undertake with Swedish and foreign composers, as well as with the composers of the future, particularly at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. The members of the Quartet hold seminars take part in concerts and work together with artists in genres other than their own.

This approach to their work has meant that their style and skills have rapidly developed and they now belong among Sweden’s foremost interpretative artists in their particular, very wide-ranging, field. The Stockholm Saxophone Quartet is driven by an irrepressible desire continually to test and go beyond the boundaries of what is considered possible in artistic terms. They often perform at international festivals, in opera houses and concert halls. Now that they have set up in new premises in Stockholm, more and more people should be able to benefit from their ability to evoke interest in contemporary music.

The studios at Tulegatan 53 house offices, rehearsal rooms and provide the opportunity to make studio recordings. But it is just as important that the Quartet’s home in Stockholm serves as a meeting-point – for musicians, composers, artists, choreographers and writers. Seminars and educational activities will be held there, together with conferences of various kinds, discussion evenings and concerts on a smaller scale.

The focal point for contemporary music which the Quartet is creating at Tulegatan 53 is also intended to be a springboard for new and artistic endeavour, both at the Swedish and the international level.

The members of the Quartet are veteran travellers – they have toured throughout Europe (e.g. the Baltic countries, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine and Albania) and performed in USA, Japan, Israel, South Africa, Egypt, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Bolivia, Iran and Brazil. In their travels, the members of the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet present Swedish music to the wider world and bring home with them new musical encounters and experiences to share with the Swedish audience.

Soprano Saxophone: Mathias Karlsen Björnstad
Alto Saxophone: Jörgen Pettersson
Tenor Saxophone: Jesper Eriksson
Baritone Saxophone: Linn Persson

For more information, you can visit their website here.

The Hopper Ensemble arose from the desire of young musicians of the Conservatoire Royal de Liège to perform and circulate the music of their entourage. Hopper is a variable-geometry ensemble that occurs frequently in Belgium and abroad. It has fruitful collaborations with various institutions such as the Centre Henri Pousseur, the Forum des Compositeurs, and with talented performers and composers. Such direct partnerships are as much the guarantee of a settling in the current musical life as of an authenticity of performance.

Hopper is supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and is in residence at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège since September 2016 and at the Forum des Compositeurs in 2019 and 2020. It is unanimously hailed for its cohesion, the closeness and the musical intelligence of its performances as well as for the happiness to play together that it communicates.

Piano: Quentin Meurisse
Violin: Roxane Leuridan
Violoncello: Ian-Elfinn Rosiu
Flute: Albane Tamagna
Clarinet: Rudy Mathey
Guitar: François Couvreur

For more information, you can visit their Facebook page here.

The RTS Symphony Orchestra is one of the most representative orchestral ensembles in Serbia.

Founded in 1937, as part of Radio Belgrade, from the very beginning, the Symphony Orchestra had profiled artistic directions, oriented towards affirmation and nurturing of national music heritage, as well as capital works of world literature. This program policy which was established by the first conducter, Mihailo Vukdargović, has been retained for more than seven decades of long performing practice, which was marked by chief conductors Mladen Jagušt, Vančo Čavdarski and Bojan Suđić, who has been from 2005 till today its artistic director.

Throughout history, the most significant domestic and foreign artists, soloists and conductors have established collaboration with the orchestra. The Symphony Orchestra has performed at all major festivals in Yugoslavia and Serbia, and has also made successful tours across Europe and Africa. In the Sound Archive of Radio Belgrade, hundreds of recordings have been permanently archived, many of which have been published on several dozen sound carriers. In 2008, the RTS Symphony Orchestra, together with its chief-conductor Bojan Suđić, received the “Extraordinary Golden Link” award for great achievements in the cultural and artistic mission, and in celebration of the 70th anniversary of its establishment. It is also the winner of the magazine “Muzika Klasika” annual award for the best orchestral ensemble for 2013.

Today, the RTS Symphony Orchestra is a modern ensemble, which operates within the RTS Music Production, keeping pace with the world tendencies in the interpretation of music. Its repertoire includes significant symphonic, concert and vocal-instrumental pieces of domestic and foreign literature. In its history, the Symphony Orchestra premiered many works of prominent contemporary domestic artists of various generations, and some of these pieces were dedicated to it. The program also includes opera and operetta literature, as well as music of popular genres. It is actively present at concert podiums, in the media and in important social events, positioning itself as a prestigious performer, ready for the most artistic accomplishments.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

Founded in 1996 by laureates of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, the Diotima Quartet has gone on to become one of the world’s most in-demand ensembles. The name reflects the musical double identity of the group: the word Diotima is a reference to German Romanticism — Friedrich Hölderlin gave the name to the love of his life in his novel Hyperion — while it is also a nod to the music of our time, recalling Luigi Nono’s work Fragmente-Stille, an Diotima.

The Diotima Quartet is honoured to partner with several of today’s major composers, such as Helmut Lachenmann, Brian Ferneyhough and Toshio Hosokawa, while also regularly commissioning new works from a broad range of composers, such as Tristan Murail, Alberto Posadas, Gérard Pesson, Rebecca Saunders and Pascal Dusapin. While being staunchly dedicated to contemporary classical music, the quartet is not limited exclusively to this repertoire. In programming major classical works alongside today’s new music, their concerts offer a fresh look at works by the great composers, in particular Bartók, Debussy and Ravel, the late quartets of Schubert and Beethoven, composers from the Viennese School, and also Janáček.

The Diotima Quartet has performed widely on the international scene and at all of the major European festivals and concert series (such as at the Berlin Philharmonic Berlin Konzerthaus; Reina Sofia, Madrid; Cité de la musique, Paris; London’s Wigmore Hall and SouthBank Centre; the Vienna Konzerthaus, and so on). As well as touring regularly across the United States of America, Asia and South America, they are also artist-in-residence at Paris’s Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord from 2012 to 2016.

Their interpretations are regularly heralded by the international media, including in Germany (for their Concerto for Quartet and Orchestra by Schoenberg), in Spain, and not least in France, where their discography has been awarded five Diapasons d’or, of which two received the Diapasons d’or de l’année — for their recordings of works by Lachenmann/Nono in 2004 and works by American composers including Crumb, Reich and Barber, in 2011. The critical and public success of the Diotima Quartet’s album of the Onslow Quartets which came out in 2009 on Naïve (including the Diapason d’or and Event of the Month in Diapason; Excepcional in Scherzo magazine) cemented the exclusive partnership between the ensemble and the record label. This collaboration has then become long-term and hugely successful. In addition, upon the invitation of the Megadisc label, the quartet made a widely acclaimed recording of Pierre Boulez’s Livre pour quatuor révisé in 2015, which received ffff in Télérama and the Choc de l’année in Classica magazine. In 2016, to celebrate 20 years since the quartet was formed, two recording events have been planned: firstly, a boxset dedicated to the Viennese School of Music, and secondly the release of a new series of contemporary composer portraits. The first in the collection is dedicated to the works of Miroslav Srnka, to be followed by those of Gérard Pesson, in collaboration with WDR Symphony Orchestra. As well as the two recording projects, the upcoming years will be rich in engagements for the quartet. These engagements include the cycle of Beethoven-Schoenberg-Boulez works at Wien Modern, concerts in various countries premiering Enno Poppe’s new string quartet (Wittener Tage für neue Musik, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, November Music‘s-Hertogenbosch, Transit Festival Leuven, Festival d´Automne à Paris), the complete Bartók string quartets in one evening at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris and four international tours, across South America, Japan, the United States of America, as well as the ensemble’s first tour to Russia.

Members: Yun-Peng Zhao
Constance Ronzatti
Franck Chevalier
Pierre Morlet

For more information, you can visit their website here.

The Wiener Concert-Verein, WCV, (Vienna Concert-Verein-Orchestra: VCVO) is an orchestra of international stature, which bears the original name of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Members of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra founded the WCV in 1987.

Its repertoire ranges from orchestral works of the Viennese classical composers to contemporary music.

Since its inception the WCV has given successful world premiere performances of over eighteen works by contemporary Austrian composers.

The WCV made its successful debut in 1987. Since then the orchestra has toured in Asia, Canada and USA and is a welcome guest at music festivals and concert halls in Europe such as the Wiener Festwochen, the Bregenz Festival, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, the Dubrovnik Festival, the Mozart Festival Würzburg, the Oldenburger Promenade Concerts, the Festival Mozart@Augsburg, the Prague Autumn, the Ljubljana Festival, the Vienna Klangbogen, the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, International Santorin Music Festival, the Festival of European weeks Passau, the Festival hall BadenBaden, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Lisinski hall, the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory and the Berlin Philharmonic.

The orchestra’s collaboration with contemporary composers is unique in Austria. It has been presenting the works of contemporary Austrian composers in a high profile concert series in the Vienna Musikverein, which has been running since 1993.

In the past years the WCV has worked with internationally acclaimed conductors and soloists such as Christian Arming, Philippe Entremont, Vladimir Fedosejev, Claus Peter Flor, Leopold Hager, James Judd, Fabio Luisi, Andres Orozco-Estrada, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ildiko Raimondi, Ulf Schirmer, Martin Sieghart, Alison Balson, Giuliano Carmignola, Mischa Maisky, Julian Rachlin, Radovan Vlatkovic. Thomas Rösner, Benjamin Schmid, Vadim Repin, Philippe Entremont conducted the orchestra’s debut in the USA.

The WCV’s CD releases are a tangible result of this duality in the orchestra’s programming, highlighting the connections between classical and contemporary music. In 2005 the WCV’s Michael Haydn recording was nominated for the Amadeus Classic Award, category «Orchestra and Large Ensemble», competing with recordings by the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras. This CD features music by Michael Haydn, Leopold Mozart, Reinhard Süss and Jean Francaix.

The WCV is subsidised by the City of Vienna, the Office of the Federal Chancellor of Austria, the OESTIG and the AKM. In 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2011 the WCV was awarded prizes by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

Referring to the pre-romantic notion of Sturm und Drang, a movement conducted by the young people who’s ideals were freedom, passion and the emancipation of the individuals, Sturm und Klang, (“Storm and Sound”), possesses the energy, ardor and enthusiasm as major assets. It is in this spirit that the musicians of the orchestra, established in 2000 by Thomas Van Haeperen, share a momentum and a commitment to projects that require their dynamism, sensibility and creativity.

Depending on the repertoire, Sturm und Klang either performes as the Sturm und Klang Orchestra, or in a smaller set up as the Sturm und Klang Ensemble.

Sturm und Klang’s programme focuses mainly on the 20th and the 21st century repertoire, with original and demanding projects, always willing to discover and conquer new ways of listening. The programme also actively supports Belgian music creation, especially the young generation of Belgian composers.

Sturm und Klang has been invited to perform in festivals such as Ars Musica, LOOP, les Inattendues, Midis-Minimes, ProPulse, BE:Classics (Paris); Hörfest Neue Musik (Detmold), as well as in famous venues such as les Halles de Schaerbeek, l’Espace Senghor, the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and La Monnaie.

Sturm und Klang is mainly supported by the commission of contemporary music of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Federation, and cooperates with the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA). It has also been part of the European network New:Aud which aims to promote contemporary music.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra was established in 1956 within Radiotelevizija Slovenija. The Orchestra was first conducted by a professor from the Academy of Music, the violin virtuoso and composer Uroš Prevoršek. The Orchestra was later conducted by Samo Hubad, Stanislav Macura, Anton Nanut and Lior Shambadal.

In September 2003, the chief conductor of the orchestra became David de Villiers; in autumn 2006 the baton was taken over by the English conductor of Chinese origin En Shao. All of them have taken the orchestra to an envying level of quality and creativity. The orchestra performs an extensive and rich repertoire from baroque to modern symphony music, opera, oratorio and cantata, stage and film music, mostly with a stress on the creativity of Slovene music.

In the past years, the orchestra has attracted the most attention at the concerts with the bands Siddharta and Terrafolk, where it engaged in so-called crossover projects. Some of the highlights from the previous years include the concert of the Symphony Orchestra RTV Slovenia with the famous pianist Ivo Pogorelić and the extraordinary concert on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Anton Nanut, the long-year artistic leader and chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra RTV Slovenia, with the guest Irena Grafenauer, one of the most respectable flutists in the world.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

The Slovenian Radio and Television Big Band (Big Band RTV Slovenija) has existed since 1945 and prides itself with being among the oldest orchestras in the world of its kind. Its successes can largely be attributed to Bojan Adamič (1912 – 1995), a conductor and composer who started reassembling the band in the spring of 1945. The orchestra was officially taken under the auspices of Radio Ljubljana in the fall of 1945.

In 1961, young Jože Privšek (1937-1998), an extremely talented piano and vibraphone player, took over the baton. Under Privšek, the Radio Ljubljana Dance Orchestra evolved into a top quality band which not only dominated the scene within ex-Yugoslavia, but received high recognition abroad.

Following Privšek’s retirement in 1992, the orchestra was taken over by Lojze Krajnčan. The artistic director between 2002 and 2013 was Hugo Sekoranja. In 2013, his role was appointed to four Big band members who act as an artistic council in agreement with the managing director of Music Production Patrik Greblo and artistic coordinator Lenart Krečič.

The band has played with some of the most famous performers and conductors in the world such as fourteen times Grammy award winner alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist Paquito d’Rivera, Oscar and Grammy winning composer, pianist and arranger Michel Legrand and Grammy nomenees and winners singers Kurt Elling, Patty Austin and Diane Schuur.

The qualities of the Big Band are its diversity and the ability to fulfil the needs of various radio and television programmes. It has excelled in musical genres as diverse as film, dance, popular and classical music. Jazz, however, is the music Big Band RTV Slovenija plays with the greatest dedication and pleasure.

For more information, you can visit their website here.

The BBC Singers hold a unique position in British musical life. Performing everything from Byrd to Birtwistle, Tallis to Takemitsu, they are second to none in their versatility. The choir’s unrivalled expertise in performing the best of contemporary music has brought about creative relationships with some of the most important composers and conductors of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Poulenc, Britten, Judith Bingham and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Following a successful 90th-anniversary season, the BBC Singers’ 2015–16 season includes a third series of concerts at Milton Court Concert Hall, featuring Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with early music ensemble I Fagiolini, Handel’s Saul with a host of first-rate soloists, Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales led by Chief Conductor David Hill and a concert remembering the battle of the Somme. The Singers at Six series of earlyevening concerts in the atmospheric surroundings of St Giles’ Cripplegate continues with concerts focusing on Mahler’s Vienna, American Songs and music by Elgar, Judith Bingham and Sir James MacMillan.

Based at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, the BBC Singers also give regular free concerts at St Paul’s Knightsbridge, as well as regularly appearing at major festivals across the UK and beyond.

This world-class ensemble is committed to sharing its enthusiasm and creative expertise through its nationwide outreach programme. This includes frequent collaborations with schoolchildren, youth choirs and the amateur choral community, as well as with the professional composers, singers and conductors of tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit their website here.