Amstel Quartet (Saxophones) live in Amsterdam

"The men of the Amstel have no fear," exclaimed the Dutch press about The Amstel Quartet, winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Its performances are riveting, filled with high energy, emotion and infectious dynamism. Its repertoire incorporates traditional works for saxophone quartet, contemporary compositions and interdisciplinary collaborations with dance, musical theatre and video.

Highlights of the Amstel Quartet's 2010-11 US tours include a return to the "Sundays Live" series of concerts/live broadcasts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, as well as debut performances for the Anchorage Concert Association, the University of Wyoming Concert Series and the Lakewood Cultural Center near Denver, CO. International performances include the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and a tour of China, including a concert sponsored by the Macau Wind Band Association.

Recent featured engagements in the US include: NYC appearances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and at the Downtown River to River Festival; concerts in Southern California for Pepperdine University and the Da Camera Society's Chamber Music in Historic Sites series; as well presentations by Music at Deer Valley (presented by the Utah Symphony), Chamber Music Yellow Springs (OH) and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In December 2009, the quartet was featured prominently on New York's WQXR radio on the long-running "McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase," featuring an in-studio performance and interview, which has been aired twice more since then. The Amstel Quartet's latest CD, Amstel Peijl, was released on the CAG Records label in late 2008, featuring landmark saxophone quartets by Glass and Glazunov and an arrangement of a Fauré quintet with pianist Wijnand van Klaveren. Fanfare Magazine raved: "The playing by the Amstel Quartet is nothing short of astounding. Not only are they a brilliant group of individual musicians, they are a brilliant ensemble."

As part of CAG's New Music/New Places initiative, the Quartet has appeared in a special collaboration with video and dance at Monkeytown and on the Barbès Classical series at Barbès Bar and Performance Space, both in Brooklyn. The repertoire of the Amstel Quartet is original and inventive. From the mystery of Bach's Second Cello Suite in D to Michael Nyman's music for the film The Piano, the four saxophonists unleash a palpable collective energy and win fans with each performance. Composers, too, such as György Ligeti, Tan Dun, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt, have nothing but praise for the ingenious adaptations written by members of the Quartet. They have also recently commissioned Michael Torke to write two new pieces, May and June, to join with his now standard sax quartet July (co-commissioned with CAG alumnae the New Century Saxophone Quartet).

In addition to its recent victory at the CAG Competition, the ensemble garnered top prizes at the International Chamber Music Competition in Illzach, France, the Netherland's Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition and Ohio's Chamber Music in Yellow Springs Competition. The Amstel Quartet has been heard in venues around the world including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Vredenburg in the Utrecht, Sogukado Hall in Tokyo, Japan, the Stadtkirche in Darmstadt and toured Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Amstel
• quartet
• saxophone
• Concert
• Artists
• Guild
• Nyman
• Barber
• Abou-Khalil
• live

[staros97400]

love the bari sax players hat

[Mike754]

Gorgeous! I love their Adagio, its perfect. Sends chills up my spine every time. God I love the saxophone

[TheMrSteinway]

This is amazing! The timing is so perfect! and the music of course is so emotional.

[Nevaq16]

I'M YOUNG AND TOTALLY LOVE THIS MUSIC CAUSE I'M EDUCATED

on a sidenote, despite the evident sarcasm of the comment, the stereotype of annoying young 'i listen to good music' comment kid fits me perfectly

on a further sidenote, i like this music

[No1Kakumeix]

very nice sound;thanks so much// her$ey harikA♪。

[frymanjames]

@PeterPandaTV thats closer than a clarinet 

[amstelquartet]

@yoavgutt ;;;; YEAH!!!

[amstelquartet]

@musicalgamingathlete. . Song for Tony - Michael Nyman

[amstelquartet]

@nimchimpskii ; ; ; Arabian Waltz and Michael Nyman are on our 'Amstel Tracks' album. In january 2012 we'll release a new album with the Barber on it.