ESSE-Quintet

Excellent group frpm St Petersburg: Mikhail Krylov (bayan-accordion), Kirill Evseev (balalaika), Anna Shatilova (alto domra), Darya Nefedova (bass-balalaika), Ksenia Kvochko (bayan-accordion).

ESSE-Quintet is a bright modern ensemble, playing on folk instruments. The ensemble was created in 2007 by the students of the St Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts and Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State Conservatory. All the members of the ensemble are very charming, artistic and are masterly musicians. On their technically and timbre wise unique instruments, they have control over; works written in the genres of folk and classical music, in all their rich variety of styles and songs, as well as the compositions made in a currently popular style “classical crossover”, where complex musical image is created using intonations of different genres and styles.
Legendary Tomas Broman, one of the founders of the international organization called WOMAD and the artistic director of more than 175 festivals, held in 27 countries of the world, said regarding the performance of the ensemble at the Terem Crossover competition: “ESSE-Quintet from St Petersburg are great. … these young people are fantastic musicians and deploy the by now familiar folk instrument line-up of balalaika, accordion and lute in a dazzling and witty performance… But this lot would be a triumph at any UK festival”.
In a short period of time the ensemble has become the winner and holder of Grand Prix at 6 international competitions, held in Russia, Italy, Sweden and France. Currently it is the most titled ensemble of the Northern capital of Russia.
Versatility of the program, amazing musical arrangements; creating the impression of the sound of a real orchestra; imagery performance and soulful solo are the characteristic signs of this ensemble.
The ensemble maintains active concert activity in Russia and Europe.

Awards:
● I Prize at I international competition of performers of national instruments Prikamye 2008, Perm (Russia), 2008
● Grand Prix at the international competition Citta di Lanciano, Lanciano (Italy), 2009
● I Prize at the international competition of music of Astor Piazzolla of Libertango, Lanciano (Italy), 2009
● Grand Prix at the international competition Silver Tuning Fork, St Petersburg, (Russia), 2009
● Finalists of I international musical competition Terem Crossover, St Petersburg, (Russia), 2010
● Grand Prix at I international musical competition in Stockholm (Sweden), 2010
● Grand Prix at the international competition of bayan-accordion players in Roubaix (France), 2010
● I Prize at 48th international competition in Klingenthal (Germany), 2011
● First Youth Award of the Government of St Petersburg (Russia), 2011
● I Prize at 65th international competition Coupe Mondiale, Spoleto (Italy), 2012

Download photo of ESSE-Quintet, colour, jpg, 300 dpi, 6 MB

Discography

ESSE-Quintet. Grand Prix Music
Astor Piazzolla. Oblivion, fragm, 2 min 59 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

 
Since January 1st, 2012 represented by ERP
See also other ethno-artists represented by ERP
Contact manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ensemble FLORIDANTE

An Estonian Baroque ensemble

Baroque ensemble Floridante was founded in Tallinn in early 2014 and has quickly gained a prominent position in the Estonian early and classical music scene. “Sunshine in the Estonian Baroque sky” and “Masters of the early music” has declared Estonian major culture newspaper Sirp in the first concert reviews regarding Floridante.

Initiated by Baroque violinist Meelis Orgse and harpsichordist Saale Fischer, Floridante is a flexible compilation of six or more instrumentalists, including Ele Raik (baroque oboe), Kristo Käo (theorbo / baroque guitar), Mari-Liis Vihermäe (traverso) and Tõnu Jõesaar (baroque cello / viola da gamba) as the core members of the ensemble. Several concert programs include soprano Maria Valdmaa, 2014 London Händel competition 2nd prize and audience award winner.

Floridante’s musicians have graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and furthered their studies in historical performance practice at the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki (FI), music universities of Trossingen, Bremen and Freiburg (DE), Conservatoire Supérior de Paris (FR), Koninklijk Conservatorium den Haag (NL), and in numerous master classes.

Though named after Händel’s opera, Floridante’s repertoire outreaches the German high Baroque, including music from the late 16th century Italy to the galant style of the 18th century. For 2015, ensemble Floridante & Maria Valdmaa have been selected to celebrate the year of Bach & Händel in the most prestigious concert halls in Estonia, Estonia Concert Hall, Vanemuine Concert Hall as well as the Haapsalu Early Music Festival.

Download photo of Floridante (jpg, 300 dpi, 6.8 MB)
Giovanni Paolo Cima. Sonata a 2, live, mp3, 3 min 25 sec, 320 Kbps
Giovanni Paolo Cima. Sonata in g, live, mp3, 3 min 56 sec, 320 Kbps
Floridante playlist 2015/2016 on Soundcloud
Live from Tallinn Music Week / Glasperlenspiel Festival 2015. Bertali, Monteverdi, Ortiz.

Press resonance

Sunshine in the Estonian Baroque sky. /.../ Händel Trio Sonata in B major HWV 388 turned out to be the highlight of that evening. The energy that Floridante released into the concert hall created a feeling of blessed lightness and freedom in the audience... (Marju Riisikamp, Sirp, 06.02.14, Estonia, whole article)

The title of the concert announced that this programme was about works created before the year of 1789. A number that indicates to the outbreak of the Great French Revolution, to the time of liberté, égalité, fraternité. These three adjectives can well be applied to the setting as well as the performance of ensemble Floridante on that afternoon. Herewith the names of each member of Floridante need to be mentioned as every one of them approached the subject with astery... (Toomas Velmet, Sirp, 28.08.14, Estonia, whole article)

Kõige eredama elamuse sain /.../ Floridante koostööst kontratenor Ivo Postiga. Ansambel on tegutsenud vaevalt aasta, aga kuna ansambli koosluses mängivad põhjaliku vanamuusikahariduse saanud ja juba kogenud, mitmeski muusikalises ühenduses tuntud muusikud, kelle esteetilised vaated ning arusaam süvenemisest tundub kokku langevat, on tulemus äärmiselt mänguline ja nauditav. /.../ Tundub, et Floridante suudab kuulajates tekitada kripelduse, et ühine hetk jäi liialt üürikeseks. (Mirje Mändla, Sirp, 10.04.15, Estonia, whole article)

Lummas Saale Fischeri mediteeriva olemusega musitseerimine Bachi IV partiitas D-duur, mis nii hästi seostus järgneva aariaga Händeli ooperist “Semele”... Kuulama pani kooslus viiul, teorb, tšello ja orel Bachi kantaadis BWV 36 just viiuli poolt välja pakutud strihhide ja teorbi sügava kõlapõhjaga, mis koos lauljaga lõid kauni sumedakõlalise rahu. On suur õnn, et siia kooslusse on kaasatud barokkoboe ning sellel musitseeriv Ele Raik. (Tiiu Levald, Sirp, 18.12.15, Estonia, whole article)

Programme examples

Bach & Händel Gala − famous arias and sonatas
Soprano / Violin / Oboe / Cello / Harpsichord / Theorbo
Duration 2 × 45min or 1h

alla Romana − music from the springs of Baroque, works by Castaldi, Frescobaldi, Cima, Fontana, Castello, Ortiz, Storace, Kapsberger
Violin / Viola da Gamba / Theorbo / Harpsichord
Duration 1h

Best before 1789 − Händel, Boismortier, Monteclair, C P E Bach
Oboe / Violin / Cello / Harpsichord
Duration 1h

Download additional material of Floridante (pdf, 1.9 MB)

Booking worldwide: ERP (Estonia Avenue 4, 10148 Tallinn, Estonia, fax +372 6484571, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
See also other musicians represented by ERP Artist

GRIGORYAN GUITAR DUO

A brilliant classical guitar duo from Australia − Slava and Len Grigoryan.

Slava Grigoryan has emerged in the past decade as one of the world’s most original classical guitarists. Born in Kazakhstan in 1976 and raised in Australia, Slava has been performing since he was eight and with major international orchestras since he was 15, including the London Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed at concerts and festivals in Europe (including Glasperlenspiel), Asia, North and South America, including a Great Guitars Tour with the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco Peña.
As a major prizewinner at the Tokyo International Classical Guitar Competition, Slava was signed by Sony Music Entertainment Australia under Sony Classical in 1995 and has since released four solo albums. His debut classical album for ABC Classics, Sonatas and Fantasies, was awarded Best Classical Album at the 2002 ARIA Awards.  2003 saw the release of 2 new albums on the ABC Classics label – Play (with Len Grigoryan) and Saffire (the Australian Guitar Quartet), which also went on to win the 2003 Best Classical Album ARIA. In 2004, Slava recorded and released another 2 collaborative CDs – Nostalgica with Saffire and Brazil with flautist Jane Rutter. In March 2006, he recorded for ERP The White Concerto by Peeter Vähi.
Slava has received the ‘Mo Award’ for Instrumentalist of the Year and in 2002, toured for Musica Viva with his brother, Len Grigoryan.  The two enjoyed another highly successful Australia-wide tour in 2003 following the release of Play.

Len (Leonard) Grigoryan was born in 1985 and has been studying the guitar with his father, Eduard Grigoryan, since the age of four. He has won numerous national awards in all categories. Len has performed with Tommy Emmanuel, Kurt Jensen, the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra, Concordia Ensemble and the Melbourne Musicians’ Chamber Orchestra.
Len toured nationally with Slava following the release of Play and the brothers continue to perform concerts across Australia for Musica Viva and at arts festivals and events.  In 2004, Len also joined Slava Grigoryan and flautist Jane Rutter on stage for a 3-month national tour of Brazil, the Latin-American inspired CD by Jane and Slava, released on ABC Classics. He has also just become an official member of Saffire and will be touring to Europe and the USA with the ensemble between Aug-Nov 2005.

Slava and Len Grigoryan both compose music for guitar and their effortless virtuosity and brilliant musicianship, both in the standard repertoire of the classical guitar as well as crossover material and contemporary composition, is highly regarded around the world. The brothers have recorded a new album for ABC Classics. 

During the last years, the duo toured in Australia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Australia, Europe, Russia.

Download photo, jpg, 300 dpi, 689 KB

Discography

DISTANCE, WWM 006, 2009
P Bellinati, Jongo, fragm, 3 min 50 sec, mp3

PLAY, ABC Classics 472 824-2, 2003
A Piazzolla, Tango Suite, fragm, 1 min 57 sec, mp3

THE SEASONS, WWM 014, 2012
P I Tchaikovsky, The Seasons, October, fragm, 2 min 39 sec, mp3, 224 Kbps

Representative for Northern Europe, Baltic States, and Russia: ERP
Contact: e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Representative for the rest of the world: Patric Togher Artists’ Management

See also other artists reperesented by ERP

DUO MARTINIKA

MAARIKA JÄRVI, flute
MARTIN KUUSKMANN, bassoon

Flutist Maarika Järvi and bassoonist Martin Kuuskman are not just a duo, Martinika is flexible. It is often joined by guests such as percussion, piano or electronics. Conventional repertoire is presented in an unconventional way here, making old music sound like new, ranging from Baroque to contemporary. Emerged from Nordic roots, the Duo make also a point in featuring Estonian conductors.

The Duo Martinika was formed in 2001 by Maarika Järvi, flute, and Martin Kuuskmann, bassoon. The idea to fuse the timbre of flute and bassoon into a duo occured to the musicians in 2001. The same year their débute in Pärnu was met with positive feedback both from the audience and critics. This unconventional staff cannot find too many original compositions created for them in the history of music, however, the more intriguing is their original sound world and that inspires the musicians to look for everything new and exciting. They impose no stylistic limitation on their search of repertoire – it includes arrangements of classics as well as original compositions with hints of jazz.

Maarika Järvi and Martin Kuuskmann and known to the international audience first and foremost as soloists. Both musicians stand out with their strong professionalism, elegant style and warm relations with the audience.

Maarika Järvi was born in Estonia, where she began her musical studies at the Tallinn School of Music. She moved to the United States with her family in 1980 and studied at the Boston and New England Conservatories with Doriot A Dwyer and Lois Schaefer of the Boston Symphony. She completed a Master of Music Degree at the Carnegie Mellon University under Julius Baker.

She has held principal flute positions of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias and the Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra of Spain. Maarika Järvi has performed as a soloist with several orchestras in Europe, Canada, the USA and Japan. She is a regular member of the Absolute Ensemble of her brother Kristjan Järvi. As a champion of Estonian flute music, she has made two recordings of concertos, one group consisting of Tubin, Sink, Jürisalu and Tamberg, the other of works specially written for her by Peeter Vähi and Urmas Sisask.

Celestials. Leonides by Urmas Sisask, fragm, 2 min 38 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps
 

Estonian born bassoon virtuoso, Martin Kuuskmann is a commanding force bent on redefining the bassoon as a top caliber solo instrument. His charismatic and entertaining performances throughout the world have earned him repute as one of the leading instrumentalists around. The New York Times praised Kuuskmann’s playing as “dynamic... amazing... gripping...” and in 2007 he received a Grammy Nomination for his recording of Chesky’s Bassoon Concerto.
Martin Kuuskmann’s seasons include solo appearances in festivals and concert halls worldwide including Gaia Festival (Switzerland), Nargen Festival (Estonia), Victoria Summer Music Festival (Canada), Glasperlenspiel Festival (Estonia), radio broadcast recitals in Estonia, Switzerland and Chicago. His current season’s recital programs vary from J S Bach to Schumann and Berio, concertos by Christopher Theofanidis, Gene Pritsker, J S Bach Double Concerto BWV 1060. In the summer of 2010 Kuuskmann will be premiering the Elegies for solo bassoon and chamber choir by Tõnu Kõrvits (written especially for him) with the Bellingham Chamber Chorale in Washington.
Kuuskmann has appeared as soloist in the New York Philharmonic series performing Luciano Berio’s Sequenza XII for bassoon solo, the Macao Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, Riga Sinfonietta, Absolute Ensemble, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Norrlandsoperan in Sweden, among many others, and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln and Kennedy Center. Kuuskmann conducts master classes and is the woodwind coach with the Baltic Youth Philharmonic at the Usedom Music Festival in Germany at the invitation of Kristjan Järvi.
Martin Kuuskmann’s recent solo album Nonstop with pianist Kristjan Randalu was released in April of 2010 on Estonian Record Productions, and contains works by J S Bach, Berio, Pärt, Schnyder, Jobim, among others.
Kuuskmann’s ambitions to explore contemporary music have led to the premieres of eight new bassoon concerti to date written exclusively for him by conductors such as Erkki-Sven Tüür, Eino Tamberg, Tõnu Kõrvits, Gregor Huebner, Christopher Theofanidis, Charles Coleman, Gene Pritsker and most recently David Chesky. Kuuskmann is currently working on new bassoon concerto with Swiss conductor Daniel Schnyder and a full concert length multi media project with a Brazilian conductor Miguel Kertsman.
His collaboration with the jazz legend, John Patitucci, led to the creation of Caprice No 1 for bassoon and strings by Patitucci which he has performed in several venues across the world. His work with conductors Daniel Schnyder, Randall Woolf, Gene Pritsker, Matt Herskowitz, Robert Martin has produced an array of works from acoustic to amplified and electronically enhanced compositions. Kuuskmann’s rendition of Daniel Schnyder’s Bassoon Sonata (also for clarinet, oboe and soprano saxophone) was recently published by the Edition Kunzelmann.
A highly sought-after chamber musician, Kuuskmann’s chamber music partners have included David Taylor, Kirill Gerstein, Robert Kulek, Kristjan Randalu, Gregor Huebner, Jan Bjoranger, Meta4 and Sirius String Quartets, Goran Söllscher, Maarika Järvi, Patrick Gallois, Paquito D’Rivera, among many other distinguished artists. Kuuskmann has been a guest at numerous international music festivals including Bremen, Hamburg, Kuhmo, Oulunsalo, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Umeå, Kristiansand, Banff and Hong Kong World Music Days.
A founding member of the Grammy nominated Absolute Ensemble, Martin Kuuskmann has been a featured soloist in Michael Daugherty’s virtuosic and madcap concerto, Dead Elvis, a work Kuuskmann has performed nearly 50 times around the world receiving wide critical acclaim. As a soloist, Kuuskmann has recorded on Chesky Records, CCn’C and ERP recording labels. His world music album on Erdenklang Records, The Path of Mantra, combines solo bassoon with the music and chanting of the Tibetan monks. Kuuskmann’s solo performances have been broadcast on BBC, CBC, NPR (wnyc, wfmt, etc), Hong Kong Radio as well as on numerous European radio stations.
Kuuskmann has appeared as a solo principal bassoonist with the Seoul Philharmonic at the invitation of Myung-Whun Chung. He was the solo principal bassoonist of the Nordic Symphony Orchestra from 1998−2001. While living and freelancing in New York City he appeared regularly as principal bassoon with the Orchestra of the St Luke’s, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Miss Saigon on Broadway, to name just a few. After moving to the Seattle area he continues to record on numerous motion picture soundtracks.
Born in Tallinn, Martin Kuuskmann graduated from Tallinn Music High School and received degrees at Manhattan School of Music and Yale University School of Music. His mentors include Stephen Maxym, Frank Morelli, Rufus Olivier, Vernon Read, and Ilmar Aasmets. As a highly in demand teacher, Kuuskmann has and continues to give lectures and master classes in major conservatories and universities in North-America and Europe. Kuuskmann is a member of a New York based new music ensemble Sequitur, and a former member of the New York Lyric Chamber Music Society, where he has premiered numerous solo chamber works and conducted educational projects. Kuuskmann is a faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Contemporary Performance Program. While not on his travels he enjoys teaching his private studio of students from his home in Washington state. He and his wife, Tiiu, are proud parents of three wonderful children.

We can certainly say that Martinika is a duo that opens a totally new facet of the instruments both in the musical and also in the acoustic sense. When the music and/or circumstances demand they both play with remote controlled microphones.

Dead Elvis, performed by Martin Kuuskmann with Absolute Ensemble, fragm, 2 min 9 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

Press resonance

I have to concede that Maarika Järvi is an excellent flautist, with a pleasing tonal range, full command of a wide range of colouristic devices, and a general liveliness which does the music no harm at all. (Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine, 2001, UK)

She, make no mistake, is a virtuoso musician of the first order, a technically adroit player with a gorgeous tone and sure sense of phrase, line, rhythm and color. (Lawrence B Johnson, The Detroit News, 27.04.02, USA)

Vaimustama võis panna Maarika Järvi viimistletud, solistipartii pisimatessegi nüanssidesse süvenenud esitus. (Igor Garšnek, Sirp, 18.08.00, Estonia)

Discography

	Musica Triste / Estonian Flute Concertos Maarika Järvi, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi Warner Music / Finlandia Records
	Celestials Maarika Järvi / Tallinn Chamber Orchestra / Kristjan Järvi CCn’C
	Somnium boreale ERP
	Méditations / Debussy, Bax, Genzmer, Jolivet, Currier Maarika Järvi, Paul Cortese, Marie Pierre Langlamet
	Chamber Music with Viola / Bloch Maarika Jävi, Paul Cortese, Michel Wagemans
	The Path Of Mantra Drikung Kagyu monks / Martin Kuuskmann / Peeter Vähi Erdenklang Press resonance
	Archipelago Martin Kuuskmann, William Schimmel, David Rozenblatt CCn’C
	Nonstop ERP
	BASSOON CONCERTOS Esitaja: Martin Kuuskmann ERP 8215 #7, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Bassoon Concerto, Mov I, fragm, mp3, 320 Kbps

Duo Martinika (photo by P Vähi, jpg, 300 dpi)

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
See also other artists of classical music reperesented by ERP Artist

CRISTOFORI PIANO QUARTET

Amsterdam

Bartolomeo Cristofori lived in Padua from 1655 to 1731 and is generally considered to be the ’inventor’ of the pianoforte, the instrument from which the piano as we know it today has developed. The Piano Quartet Amsterdam named itself after this Italian because of the central role the piano plays in the quartet.

The members of Cristofori Piano Quartet come from 4 different countries – Germany, Italy, Israel, and the Netherlands. Paolo Giacometti (piano), Eva Stegeman (violin), Johannes Erkes (viola), and Timora Rosler (cello) can each look back ob many years of experience as soloists as well as chamber musicians. For this reason the ensemble has been able to establish itself quickly in the international chamber music scene since its start in the summer of 2002. The quartet has been invited to perform at numerous festivals and concert series. In addition they have made various live radio recordings.

Paolo Giacometti – piano

Distinguished with the 2001 Edison Classical Music Award for best performing Dutch musician, Paolo Giacometti performs all over the world as a soloist and as a chamber musician, both on period as well as on modern instruments.
Giacometti was born in Milan in 1970, but has been living in the Netherlands since his first year. He studied with Jan Wijn at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam where he graduated with distinction in 1995. The summer master classes held by György Sebök in Switzerland also played an important role in his musical development. Giacometti has won many prizes both at national and international competitions. He has performed with renowned orchestras under distinguished conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Kenneth Montgomery, Lauren Petitgirard, Michael Tilkin and Jaap van Zweden. With Jaap van Zweden he recently performed Beethoven’s 1st and 3rd Piano Concertos during a successful tour in the UK with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.
Apart from his activities as a soloist, Giacometti’s love for chamber music has resulted in a successful co-operation with leading musicians. Giacometti has performed in concert halls all over the world including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Wigmore Hall (London) and Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris).
Giacometti records exclusively for Channel Classics. His impressive discography has been widely acclaimed by the international press. His recordings include Rossini’s complete piano works, a remarkably novel project that started in 1998. In Rossini’s homeland critics say: “... Rossini has finally found his pianist...” For the 3rd recording of this series Giacometti received the Edison Classical Music Award 2001. His recording of Schumann’s Humoreske, Fantasiestücke and Toccata received the BBC Music Magazine’s Benchmark and Performance of Outstanding Quality distinctions. Giacometti’s recording of the Dvořák and Schumann piano concertos were acclaimed by Gramophone as “... one of the best concerto discs I have heard in a long while...” Among his chamber music recordings, a CD with works by Schubert (with cellist Pieter Wispelwey) received the Choc du Monde de la Musique and Luister 10 awards, while another recording with works by Chopin, Fauré and Poulenc (also with Pieter Wispelwey) was awarded the Diapason d’or.
Paolo Giacometti is also a dedicated piano professor at the Utrecht Conservatory of Music.

Eva Stegeman – violin

The Dutch violinist Eva Stegeman (1971) studied with Davina van Wely at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and with David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she was awarded the M Warsaw Chamber Music Award. In 1995 she was the 2nd prizewinner at the final of the National Oskar Back Violin Competition, performing Beethoven’s Concerto at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
She has taken part in international seminars with great teachers such as György Sebök, Viktor Liberman, Herman Krebbers, Boris Belkin and Lorrand Fenyves. For several years she was the principal violinist of the National Youth Orchestra of Holland.
Stegeman regularly appears as a soloist throughout Holland as well as in Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Spain, England, and Denmark, performing violin concertos by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns and Pärt with orchestras such as the Orfeo Orchester Budapest, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, the Städtisches Orchester Trier or Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Stegeman is a regular guest director of the European Union Chamber Orchestra with whom she also appears as a soloist. Furthermore she is a member of the ensemble Combattimento Consort Amsterdam with whom she has toured Europe, Japan, and South-America, and has taken part in various CD recordings as well as numerous radio broadcasts.
As a chamber music player Stegeman is much in demand; she performs regularly with chamber music ensembles in various different formations. Outside Holland she has been invited to perform at numerous international chamber music festivals such as in Austria (Toujours Mozart in Salzburg and Vienna), Italy (Spoleto), Germany (Harzburg, Rellingen and Aschau in Chiemgau), England (Prussia Cove and Bath) and Switzerland (Ernen and Sierre), etc. She successfully worked and performed with great musicians such as Gordan Nikolic, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Jan Willem de Vriend, Alois Brandhofer, Bruno Weinmeister and the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble. In 1998, at the invitation of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, she took part in a performance of the Brahms’ 2^nd String Sextet with the legendary Isaac Stern. She is a member of the Leupold Trio (Baroque).
Stegeman is founder and artistic director of the Chamber Music Festival Haaglanden which yearly takes place in The Hague since 2003. Under her direction the festival was able to establish itself rapidly in the Netherlands.
She plays a G B Rogeri (Brescia) violin from around 1680.

Johannes Erkes – viola

The German viola-player Johannes Erkes studied at the Munich Conservatory with Oscar Lysy. Subsequent studies with Kim Kashkashian complemented his musical training. As soloist and chamber musician Erkes is equally in demand and gave appearances in all the great concert halls in Europe, America, and Japan. He performed concertos with orchestras such as the Orfeo Orchestra Budapest, the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie, the Orchestra da Camera di Padova e del Veneto, the Klassichen Philharmonie Bonn and the Staatsorchester Braunschweig. He was invited at numerous international chamber music festivals such as the Helsinki Festival, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (Finland), the Bath Festival (UK), the Oleg Kagan Musikfest in Kreuth (Germany), the Rossini Festival in Pesaro (Italy), the festival “Begegnungen” (Salzburg) and the Festival of Besançon (France). His musical partners among others were Valery Affanassiev, Gordan Nikolic, Michel Dalberto, Natalia Gutman, Alexander Lonquich, Karl Leister, Charles Neidich, Alexander Janiczek and Wolfgang Schulz. Erkes is a regular guest leader in the Camerata Academia Salzburg.
Erkes made numerous radio broadcasts and compact disc recordings for the WDR, the BBC, RAI and the labels BIS and Festivo Records. In 1993 he founded the chamber music festival Festivo in Aschau im Chiemgau (Germany), which under his direction quickly gained an international reputation. In 2003 and 2005 he was artistic director of the Toujours Mozart festival in Salzburg and Vienna. In November 2004 he was awarded the Kulturpreis des Landkreises Rosenheim (Germany).
Johannes Erkes plays a viola of Giuseppe Guadagnini from the year 1798.

Timora Rosler – cello

The Israeli cellist Timora Rosler took 1^st prize at the 1996 Stuttgart International Cello Competition. In 1997 she won the Vriendenkrans of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She was praised by the jury as follows: “Timora Rosler has a capturing talent, intimate expressiveness, virtuosity and a natural feeling for the composition. Her interpretation is exceptionally fascinating”.
A year later she won a special prize for her interpretation at the XI International Bach Competition in Leipzig. She also won the top prize at the Caltanissetta International Duo Chamber Music Competition in 1996 in Italy with her duo-pianist Klára Würtz. Since 1985 she was awarded the America Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship and later became a member of the Distinguished Young Artists Chamber Music Group at the Jerusalem Music Center. She has attended master classes with artists such as Janos Starker, Heinrich Schiff, Boris Pergamenschikov, Anner Bijlsma, Daniel Shafran and Lynn Harell.
Timora has participated in numerous chamber music festivals including Ravinia, Aspen, Banff Center for the Arts, the Manchester Cello Festival, the International Musicians Seminar in the UK, Holland Music Sessions, Pro Festival in Germany, the Maurice Ravel Summer Academy in France.
Timora has appeared in concerts in Europe, the USA, Canada, Argentina, and Israel. As a soloist she has performed with different orchestras such as Philharmonia of the Nations, Janácek Philharmonic, Slovak Sinfonietta, Donetsk Philharmonic, National Symphony of Ukraine, Haifa Symphony Orchestra and the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. With the Orquesta de Cámara Mayo of Buenos Aires she toured extensively throughout the Netherlands and Argentina, with works of Piazzolla. Both a television and a CD recording were made of this collaboration. She has also made recordings for the Israeli, Hungarian, German, Dutch and American Radio.
Timora holds a Performing Musician degree from the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where she studied with Dmitri Ferschtman, and a Certificate of Performance from Yale University where she was a pupil of Aldo Parisot.
Timora plays a Thomas Dodd cello from 1800.

The debut CD (SACD 24005A) released in July 2005 by German label Festivo Records with piano quartets by Beethoven and Schumann was highly acclaimed by both public as well as media.
“Gerade der melancholisch-warme Tonfall ist es, der in Beethovens Opus 16 ungeahnte Welten ersließt: Das ist die bislang beste Einspielung des Werks. Feinfühlig und kongenial wird Beethovens  schwermütiges Lachen umgesetzt. /.../ Diese CD ist eine immense Bereicherung, weil sie neue Maßstäbe der Interpretation setzt.” (Marco Frei, 26.08.05, Germany)

 L van Beethoven. Rondo from Piano Quartet in E-flat, fragment, 115 sec, mp3
 R Schumann. Allegro brillante from Piano Quertet in E-flat, fragment, 75 sec, mp3

Main repertoire

Camille Saint-Saëns. Piano Quartet in B-flat major, Op 41
Ludwig van Beethoven. Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op 16
Gabriel Fauré. Piano Quartet No 2 Op 45 in G minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor, KV 478
Antonin Dvořák. Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op 87
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Piano Quartet in C minor, Op 1, No 1
Gustav Mahler. Piano Quartet
Robert Schumann. Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op 47
Alfred Schnittke. Piano Quartet
Franz Schubert. Forellen Quintet (together with a guest double bass player)
Johannes Brahms. Piano Quartet in A major, Op 26

Booking for Baltic region

ERP, Estonia Avenue 4, 10148 Tallinn, Estonia
Phone +372 50 93766
Fax +372 6484571
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photos of Cristofori Piano Quertet by Willem Laros

Ensemble JOUISSANCE

An attractive concert program with Australian musicians.

Deborah Kayser – soprano
Jerzy Kozlowski – baritone / bass
Peter Neville – bells, percussion
Nick Tsiavos – double bass / artistic director
Anne Norman – shakuhachi-flute

Jouissance was formed in 1993 to explore a dialogue between Medieval and Byzantine chant, and contemporary culture.
The musicians share a fascination with the mysticism, sensuality and rapture found in the works of Hildegard von Bingen, Peter Abelard and the Byzantine Rite. The engagement with this music is informed by the diverse nature of the performers’ experience: from new complexity to minimalism, from Japanese zen to jazz-rock crossover, from blues and ethnic music to all forms of opera. Improvisation is one of the elements used to site the exploration in an “unstable” environment, encouraging new insights and glimpses of other possible readings of the ancient work in a contemporary framework.

Program

The Akathistos hymn – a massive work of the Byzantine rite. This intensely beautiful set of melismatic chant in praise of the Virgin Mary, has multi-layered text rich in imagery. Thought to have been composed in the 6th century, its various poetic genres hint at even earlier liturgies of the church. An epic work of Byzantine art, the Akathistos hymn transcends the everyday world and transports the spirit into a state of rapture.
The Akathistos has also a historic context to it, a backdrop that has surrounded the hymn with legend. On three separate occasions in the 7th cent, the capital of Eastern Christendom, Constantinople, was attacked and held under siege. Through the miraculos intervention of the Theotokos, the city repelled the invading armies. The hymn “Ti hypermacho stratigo” links the safety of Constantinople with the benevolent care of the Virgin Mary. Since that time, the “Akathistos” and “Ti hypermacho stratigo” have been sung together as a thanksgiving to the Virgin Protectress of Constantinople.

Reviews

Near Divine. Jouissance is an ensemble which embodies a feeling... of primal ecstasy. (Sydney Morning Herald, 14.03.02)
... the extraordinary impact of their enterprising fusion of old and new, East and West, Latin and Byzantine... Their near hysteric outpourings... to the serene... combined discipline and freedom... a barrier-breaking treat. (The Age, Melbourne 11.03.02)
... an enthralling experience, meditative, impassioned, sensual and uplifting, with moments of striking beauty. (The Advertiser, Adelaide, 11.03.02)
... the night’s instrumental beauties came in the unpredictable passages: the breathy elliptical Japanese flute work of Norman, Tsiavos’ wide-ranging bass support, and the assortment of gongs, metal sheets and cymbals that Neville applied to the texture: subtle ornamentation of the ensemble’s solid and daring structure. (Clive O’Connell, The Age, June 03)
The Australians charm with their originality. ...the music disappears between the two worlds of reality and unreality. The musicians were able to perfectly convey the archaic ether, their extasy became a part of the audience. (Pärnu Postimees, Estonia, 13.08.99)
... Jouissance has realised a soundworld that is much more than an accompaniment to the lyrics of Hildegard and Abelard, it is a highly imaginative evocation of the very aura of rapture to which these lyrics so often aspire. (Soundscapes, Australia, May 1994)
... wrenchingly ecstatic... Jouissance displays elegance, linear firmness and a deep spirituality in its performances. ...one of this year’s concert going delights. Jouissance cannot be commended highly enough. (Clive O’Connell, The Age, Melbourne, Aug 97)
The best of the locals for the 1997 season... was Jouissance. My longing for adventurousness was gratified ... these musicians produced an experimental fusion that gave its audience a rich aesthetic experience. (Review of 1997 music season in Melbourne, The Age, Dec 97)

Recordings

Jouissance has recorded several CDs and one DVD of their Mikres Ikones program recorded live in concert in 2003. The group has recently recorded a new CD entitled Akathistos Fragments (ABC Classics 476 8064).

The Akathistos, fragm, 91 sec, mp3
Castitas / Diabolus (from “Hildegard’s Blood”), fragm, 95 sec, mp3

Booking for Europe: ERP (Estonia Avenue 4, 10148 Tallinn, Estonia, fax +372 6484571, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
See also other musicians represented by ERP Artist