Chamber Music
A conversation between friends
(by Catherine Drinker Bowen)
Catinblack Ensemble
The catinblack ensemble is a low string trio (viola, cello and double bass) with musicians from different parts of the world who have developed a common sound and a strong connection to each other in a short time. They performed at the NOW! Festival 2021 and were selected in the same year for a concert with WDR live recording in the renowned “WDR 3 Campus Concerts” series. In 2022 and 2023 they were selected by the Music Fund for the NEUSTARTKULTUR program “FEB-II and FEB-III – Funding for Ensembles and Bands”. The focus of catinblack’s repertoire is on the music of our time and the rich contemporary work for viola, cello and double bass in solo, duo and trio formations. It is also particularly important to the ensemble to experiment with new concert formats and concepts and to seek partnerships with artists of their time in order to develop new worlds of sound.
Trio Lys
Trio Lys was founded in Norway in 2020 by Daniela Engel (clarinet, bass clarinet), Ema Grčman (cello) and Haike Dietrich (piano). The three musicians met in Oslo during their master’s studies and have since performed together regularly in various formations. In addition to their extensive standard repertoire, they currently focus on classical and contemporary music from Northern Europe.
In their first self-organized concert project Lind:Berg, for example, they concentrated on the versatile chamber music of the Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg and presented themselves at concerts in Norway and Switzerland.
In the 23/24 season, the Trio Lys will once again focus on music for clarinet, cello and piano from various Nordic countries. In their latest project “Day and Night” they send their audience on a musical journey through the times of day. They present duo and trio compositions by, among others, Kaija Saariaho, Jean Sibelius, Per Nørgård, and Emil Hartmann, as well as a commissioned composition by the Latvian composer Asja Ahmetjanova, who lives in Zurich. Self-designed visual effects emphasize the interplay of light and shadow, rich colors and darkness.
Ensemble Aurōrae
Ensemble Aurōrae expands the traditional concert format to include a broader audience by merging different art forms and incorporating their own arrangements. Next to their broad standard repertoire they use creative performance concepts that integrate contemporary and folk-music inspired music as well as forgotten works from Scandinavia and abroad.
Currently they are focusing on music from the Nordic countries and include in their projects a traditional Norwegian instrument, the hardanger fiddle. They collaborate with Dextra Musica and Nymusikks Komponistgruppe and have commissioned new works especially written for Ensemble Aurorae which will be performed in the following season.
Quartensprung
Quartensprung” is a chamber music ensemble founded in 2022, which focuses on new concert formats. The ensemble consists of musicians: Onna Stäheli (voice, choir director), Ragna Rian (violin, Hardanger fiddle), Sophie Steiner (harp) and Ema Grčman (cello).
The ensemble “Quartensprung” is looking for new ways to make music, literature, art and culture tangible. In interactive concert formats we combine different genres and directions.
With the latest concept, Quartensprung has dealt intensively with the novella “Der Steppenwolf” by Hermann Hesse and developed a musical-literary performance concept.
In 2023, this concept was recognized as one of three finalist concepts in the Hugo competition.
Duo Meliora
Duo Meliora consists of a young and enthusiastic cellist and a versatile pianist. Having worked together since the beginning of their master studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music, they have established a long and creative musical collaboration. They have explored repertoire from all epochs, from Beethoven to contemporary composers and have organized concerts in Oslo and all over Europe and share a special interest for connecting classical/romantic works with contemporary compositions in their programs. In 2022 they performed recitals with the focus on the music from the time »fin de siecle« with some of their own transcriptions of »Lieder« for cello and piano.
