Kwartet André
Kwartet André was formed in 1996 in order to embrace the magnificent yet rarely performed repertoire from the mid-eighteenth to the early nineteenth century for clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello.
In July 1999, Kwartet André was awarded a prestigious prize in the Musica Antiqua Competition at the Flanders Festival in Brugge, Belgium. The ensemble has subsequently performed at the Barcelona Early Music Festival and for the Dutch Early Music Network Concert Series and the Utrecht Early Music Festival.
CD release
In 2001, Kwartet André released their debut CD entitled 'Haydn, his Mistress, their Son and his Successor' with much acclaim for their performance as well as the exciting new repertoire which was brought to light in this distinctive programme around scandalous happenings in the Viennese court of the late eighteenth century. The CD includes the world premiere recording of the Trio Concertante by Alois Anton Polzelli.
Repertoire
It is well known today that composers such as Haydn and Mozart were responsible for the string quartet becoming one of the most popular forms of chamber music in the Classical Period, however, many people are unaware that the combination of a woodwind instrument with strings was an equally loved, if not preferred, instrumentation in the eighteenth century. The clarinet was a particular favourite with its new and exciting sound for the audiences of the time. There is an abundance of repertoire for clarinet and strings not only by Mozart but by many, many other composers who are lesser known today though equally respected in the Classical Period.
Musicians
The members of Kwartet André are leading Early Music specialists who unite for regular concert seasons and tours, bringing this superb repertoire to the audiences of the twenty-first century. All four musicians enjoy demanding performance careers as soloists, chamber and orchestral musicians.