“When listening to the ARUNDOSquintett, this question arises:

why is the string quartet is considered the noblest form of chamber music?”

- Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln

Anna Saha – flute

Yoshihiko Shimo – oboe

Christine Stemmler – clarinet

Lisa Rogers – horn

Yuka Maehrle – bassoon

The international ARUNDOSquintett – Anna Saha (flute), Yoshihiko Shimo (oboe), Christine Stemmler (clarinet), Lisa Rogers (horn) and Yuka Maehrle (bassoon) has its artistic home in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which awarded the quintet a three-year ensemble grant in 2020.

The debut CD Origin was supported by a grant from the Kunststiftung NRW and received enthusiastic reviews in the specialized press as well as from Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and rbb Berlin. With Saga, the ensemble is now presenting its second CD release, again sponsored by the Kunststiftung NRW.

On stage, the ARUNDOSquintett has delighted audiences in numerous chamber music series, for example at the Kölner Philharmonie, the WDR Funkhaus Köln and Beethovenhaus Bonn, on tours to Spain, Italy, Denmark and Belgium, as well as at the Rheingau Musik Festival and Kempen Klassik.

Founded in 2013 at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, the ARUNDOSquintett won prizes at the Antón García Abril 2014 and Castilla y León 2015 chamber music competitions, as well as a scholarship from the Werner Richard – Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation and the Best of NRW 2016 concert series. The ensemble qualified for participation in the ARD Music Competition 2014, Carl Nielsen International Music Competition 2015 and Osaka International Chamber Music Competition 2017.

Its extensive repertoire ranges from the classical composer Anton Reicha and arrangements from the romantic period to French and German wind chamber music of the twentieth century, as well as very recent compositions. In 2020, the ensemble announced a composition competition at German music colleges in order to inspire the next generation of composers for the quintet genre. Broadening musical horizons is just as important to the ARUNDOSquintett as is varied and knowledgeable programme design spanning different epochs and styles – and, not least, dialogue with the audience, stimulated by their own personal concert introductions. The CD recordings bear witness to this passion for presenting the newer repertoire for wind quintet in first recordings and expanding it with commissionedcompositions.

Anna Saha

flute

biography

Yoshihiko Shimo

oboe

biography

Christine Stemmler

clarinet

biography

Lisa Rogers

horn

biography

“Their technically flawless performance is characterized by captivating freshness, meticulous listening and the endeavor to never improperly play a dominant role.”

- Rheinische Post

The highly talented musicians take to heart all chamber music virtues: virtuoso wit, instrumental punch lines and sensuous presence within a homogenous woodwind ensemble. Powerful music, interpreted in a powerful way.”

- Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung

“When listening to the ARUNDOSquintett, the question arises why particularly the string quartet is considered the noblest form of chamber music.”

- Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln

“The Mozart arrangement was performed on an outstanding classical level. A downright event were the 6 Bagatelles by György Ligeti. Everything was perfect here: the five members of the ensemble demonstrated a boisterous musical enthusiasm and presented the pointed miniatures with a sensational timing.”

- Generalanzeiger Bonn

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