アムステルダム・シンフォニエッタ Amsterdam Sinfonietta
Amsterdam Sinfonietta is a Dutch string orchestra based in Amsterdam.
The ensemble was founded in 1988 under the name Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam by a group of young musicians. Since 2003 it has been led by concertmaster and artistic director Candida Thompson, but it performs without a conductor.
History
During the first years after its foundation, the ensemble was led by conductor and artistic director Lev Markiz. He introduced the ensemble to modern Russian composers Alfred Schnittke, Dmitri Shostakovich and Edison Denisov. The ensemble also played new pieces (world premieres) by Dutch and foreign composers.
From 1998, Peter Oundjian became artistic director, former first violinist of the Tokyo Quartet. He did both projects with typical works for string orchestra (such as works for double string orchestra, large string quartets, and special solo concerts), he also had the orchestra play classical symphonies. Oundjian also conducted new commissioned compositions.
From the 2003-2004 season, Candida Thompson is the artistic director. She has been concertmaster of the ensemble since 1995. Since taking office, the orchestra has been working without a conductor, and therefore more from ensemble playing and a chamber music-like approach, for which the orchestra was originally founded. Under her direction, the ensemble released more than ten CDs.
In 2013 the ensemble won the VSCD Classical Music Prize 'De Ovatie' with their tour with singer-songwriter Patrick Watson. The prize is awarded annually by the Association of Theatre and Concertgebouw Directors for the 'most impressive achievement in classical music'. In 2019, Amsterdam Sinfonietta was nominated for this again.
Occupation
The ensemble consists of 22 strings: six first violins, six second violins, four violas, four cellos, two double basses. When the repertoire calls for it, the orchestra is expanded with, for example, wood and brass, percussion, etc.
Repertoire
The repertoire of Amsterdam Sinfonietta is broad, from baroque music to contemporary music. The ensemble sometimes performs with guest players (e.g. wind players) in chamber orchestra line-up and also regularly plays non-classical music. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta often plays adaptations. For example, a lot of chamber music is played in multiple ensembles. Conversely, symphonic music is often arranged for smaller ensembles.
The ensemble regularly performs world premieres and writes commissioned works. Amsterdam Sinfonietta played premieres by Jorg Widmann, Thomas Larcher, John Zorn, Sofia Gubaidulina, Bryce Dessner and Michel van der Aa, among others.
Tours
Amsterdam Sinfonietta toured the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Soviet Union. The orchestra played in South Africa at the invitation of Queen Beatrix in 1996 at a concert for Nelson Mandela and invited guests. They returned in 2001 for a second tour and workshops to children. In 2002 the ensemble played at the Cite de la Musique in Paris. In 2011, the ensemble performed their tour 'Liebestod', with cellist Sol Gabetta and actor Jeroen Willems, in six renowned European concert halls as part of the international ECHO tour. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta played in Barbican Hall (London), The National Centre of Performing Arts (Beijing) and the Konzerthaus (Vienna). In 2017, the ensemble debuted in South America, touring Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and Chile.
CD
Amsterdam Sinfonietta recorded CDs with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Dmitri Shostakovich (one of whom was awarded an Edison), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky, Edison Denisov and Frank Martin (the latter two awarded a Diapason d'Or). With the label BIS, the complete string symphonies and the solo concertos of Felix Mendelssohn are recorded. In 2001, under the direction of Peter Oundjian, the late string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven were recorded. Since 2004, Amsterdam Sinfonietta has been releasing CDs on Channel Classics Records.
Guest conductors and soloists
The ensemble has been conducted by guest conductors such as Iona Brown, Thierry Fischer, Valeri Gergiev, Roy Goodman, Christopher Hogwood, Reinbert de Leeuw, Viktor Liberman, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Etienne Siebens and Murray Perahia.
Soloists who played or sang with the ensemble include Olaf Bar, Nobuko Imai, Kim Kashkashian, Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma, Sabine Meyer, Pekka Kuusisto, Enrico Pace, Viktoria Postnikova, Menahem Pressler, Robert Levin, the Brodsky Quartet, Ilya Grubert, Isaac Stern, Thomas Zehetmair, Anner Bijlsma , Ronald Brautigam, Isabelle van Keulen, Jard van Nes, Bart Schneemann, Pieter Wispelwey, Miranda van Kralingen Thomas Hampson, Barbara Hannigan, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Alexander Melnikov, Sol Gabetta, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Janine Jansen, Lavinia Meijer and Thomas Oliemans.
Special projects
Amsterdam Sinfonietta participated in the 'Carte Blanche' concerts in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw: in 1995 for Reinbert de Leeuw (in Gruppen by Karlheinz Stockhausen), in 1998 for Thomas Hampson and in 2003 for Murray Perahia. In 1999 it starred in Igor Stravinsky's Biblical Pieces in a production by De Nederlandse Opera directed by Peter Sellars.
The ensemble made productions such as De dag van... (about the composers Alfred Schnittke, Bohuslav Martin? and Darius Milhaud) and children'soperas with Frank Groothof. It played in a production of the National Travel Opera of Reigen by Philippe Boesmans. In 2000, the ensemble performed songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Thomas Hampson at the Vocal Festival without a conductor. During the Holland Festival of 2001, Amsterdam Sinfonietta played premieres by young Dutch composers under the direction of conductor Micha Hamel. Every year Amsterdam Sinfonietta organizes a New Year's concert with non-classical artists such as the Houdini's, Trijntje Oosterhuis and Bobby McFerrin. Since 2003, the Sinfonietta String Festival has taken place annually. The first time, Gennady Rozhdestvensky was the special guest. In 2003-2004 the ensemble gave first performances of works by Geert van Keulen, Peter van Onna and Theo Verbey.
The New Year's tour 'Breder dan klassiek' is now also a household name in the Netherlands, in which the orchestra collaborates with artists who do not come directly from classical music. For example, Amsterdam Sinfonietta collaborated with Karin Bloemen in 2009 and Wende Snijders in 2010. De Dijk, Rufus Wainwright, Blaudzun and Typhoon were also featured. In 2020, singer-songwriter Jonathan Jeremiah will be a guest.
Since 2017, the ensemble has been working structurally with the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Every season, around ten Master's students get the chance to rehearse, go on tour with Amsterdam Sinfonietta and get to know the working method without a conductor.