Quintessenz – Leipziger Querflötenensemble
Quintessenz Leipzig Flute Ensemble is a flute quintet from Leipzig, Germany. Its members are five musicians of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, MDR Symphony Orchestra, and Staatskapelle Halle.[1][2] The group plays music from every musical epoch and nearly every style.
Quintessenz Leipzig Flute Ensemble | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Leipzig, Germany |
| Genres | Classical, jazz |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | MDG, Genuin |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
History
Quintessenz Leipzig Flute Ensemble was founded in 1996.[3] Inspired by the works of British a cappella-band King’s Singers, and the Bamboozles, a flute quintet of five students of Trevor Wye, the idea of an ensemble that consisted of musicians who played the same instruments in different voices excited the five flutists from Leipzig.
At first, Quintessenz met in private to play Jazz. With training in classical music, the transition to Jazz quickly developed a characteristic sound. The groups classical education heavily influenced their early works.
Without sheet music for flute quintets, Quintessenz began arranging their own musical pieces. They used music for quintets of different instruments and also adapted symphonic pieces, piano literature, and completely different music genres. Thus they began to compile their own programs.
In 1999, Quintessenz recorded their first CD, followed by three more. In 2006, the ensemble was invited by Trevor Wye to the flute festival of the British Flute Society in Manchester. Since then, they have performed at various international festivals, inter alia in New York City in August 2009, hosted by the National Flute Association of the United States.
A few years ago, Quintessenz started to focus on the support of young flutists. In cooperation with the regional music council (Landesmusikrat) and the Jeunesses Musicales Germany they hosted several workshops for flute chamber music.[4]
Programs
Because of their particular music style, the Quintessenz programs also have a special character. There is always a main topic or theme that organizes the repertoire. This theme can be related to both music or composers (Mozartimento), but also countries (America!) or literary themes (Tour de France). In addition to that, Quintessenz has several special programs that combine music and poetry (Hymn to fish, All those birds). For those, they are assisted by professional stage actors who recite poems to the respective topic.
A special form of these programs is the "musical promenade". The audience is invited to walk through the landscape together with “Quintessenz”, playing music at different places. Additional programs are for example "A Midsummer Night's Dream" – the program for the Mendelssohn year 2009. Parts of the music of the Midsummer Night's Dream are the frame, replenished with pieces about summer, night, and elves.
Members
Anna Garzuly
Anna Garzuly was born in Szombathely, Hungary. She studied in Budapest, Munich, and New York City. Her teachers included Paul Meisen and Jeanne Baxtresser. Garzuly was the Associate Principal Flute of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig from 1995 to 2018. She has won numerous prizes at international competitions such as those in Scheveningen, Kobe, Budapest and Geneva. Anna Garzuly is much in demand as a soloist, teacher and as a competition judge. She is the principal flute of the Quintessenz ensemble.
Jérémie Abergel
Jérémie Abergel was born in Paris, France. He studied in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, in Freiburg and in Frankfurt. Shortly after completing his studies, he began his professional career as both a chamber and orchestral musician, performing in orchestras such as the Dresdner Philharmonie, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Konzerthaus Berlin and the MDR Sinfonieorchester. He played with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig for three years. Following a short engagement in Chemnitz, he took the position of principal piccolo at the Staatsoper Hannover. Since 2019 he is a member of the Bayreuther Festspiele orchestra and the Leipzig flute ensemble, Quintessenz.
Manfred Ludwig
Manfred Ludwig was born in Erding, Bavaria. He studied in Munich at the Richard Strauss Conservatory with Phillippe Boucly and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Prof. Andrea Lieberknecht and Gudrun Hinze. In 2008 he joined the Academy of the Bayerische Staatsoper München. After several years as acting Co-principal Flute for the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, he was appointed as second flute in 2013. He has played with Quintessenz since 2016.
Bettine Keyßer
Born in Potsdam, Bettine Keyßer studied flute with Dietrich Hoenow in Berlin, with Eric Kirchoff as well as in Birmingham, Alabama as the student of Sheryl Cohen. Keyßer was principal piccolo player of the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock before becoming assistant principal flute of the Staatskapelle Halle starting in 1999. Today, she is performing the alto flute with Quintessenz.
Christian Sprenger
Christian Sprenger is a native of Berlin. After completing his studies with Werner Tast in 1989 his career began with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester as assistant principal flutist. In 1995 he became principal flutist of the MDR-Sinfonieorchester. Sprenger has also won several prizes in various competitions. He pursues an active career as soloist and chamber ensemble player with concert tours in the United States, Turkey, Italy, and England. He is the bass player and head of the ensemble Quintessenz.
Discography
- 1999: Bonsoir
- 2003: Arabesques
- 2006: America!
- 2007: Tour de France
Notes
- "Innovativ und virtuos". Süddeutsche.de (in German). 28 February 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- "Konzerte am Kanal: Ost-westliche Serenade mit dem Ensemble Quintessenz – Nachrichten aus Leipzig". Nachrichten aus Leipzig – Leipziger Zeitung (in German). 1 November 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- "Schlosskonzert in St. Benedikt: Internationales Flötenensemble spielt in der Kirche – Ascheberg". Westfälische Nachrichten (in German). 8 September 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- "Begeisterung pur in altehrwürdigen Räumen – Ausgabe: 12/09 – neue musikzeitung". nmz (in German). Retrieved 31 March 2021.