Calefax, established over 25 years ago, are now in great demand worldwide, not least because of their unique instrumentation. The quintet performs standing up and always introduces itself and the programme me to the audience. Most importantly, the five musicians arrange, recompose and interpret music from eight centuries to suit their unique constellation: from early music to classical and jazz to world premières; in the hands of Calefax it all sounds fresh and new.
The Amsterdam based ensemble has won a number of prestigious prizes and can be heard frequently throughout Europe and further afield in Russia, China, India, Turkey, Japan and the USA.
The Times: “Calefax - five extremely gifted Dutch gents who almost made the reed quintet seem the best musical format on the planet”.
As in previous seasons Calefax has a considerable number of interesting programmes and concert tours scheduled. The ensemble can be heard in the USA, China, Dubai and Sweden and will undertake several tours to the UK (eg 4 concerts London’s Wigmore Hall).
2012-13 season highlights
The new season began in August, when Calefax performed with mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn at the Prinsengracht concert in the Netherlands, broadcast live on television and radio by AVRO.
Some highlights of the season in the Netherlands include:
- On the Spot: Calefax explores the line between written and improvised music in a new multiannual project. The first guest to accompany Calefax on this adventure is the Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans.
- Quatuor Danel: Calefax joins forces with this renowned quartet from Brussels. Included in this program is a new work by Belgian composer Jean-Luc Fafchamps.
- Roaring Twenties: Calefax and mezzo-soprano Cora Burggraaf explore this turbulent decade. Roaring Twenties can be heard as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
- Liszt's Totentanz: Calefax performed Totentanz on November 1st, 2nd and 3rd with the Northern Dutch Orchestra, in an arrangement by Jelte Althuis
Calefax has released 17 CDs on the renowned German label MDG as well as for their own label RIOJA Records, all of which have been acclaimed by the international press: "A sublime sense of timing [...]. In short: here are five souls playing as one. These are … masters!"
In March 2012 Calefax released a long-awaited CD and DVD of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant wrote of the Goldberg Variations: "The way the five reed players of Calefax produce music in new guises, but without a trace of friction, continues to leave audiences speechless..." (Frits van der Waa, CD Review)
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on the Goldberg Variations: "Unbelievable [...] Almost everything Calefax touches turns to gold." (Thiemo Wind, CD Review)
Calefax consists of:
Oliver Boekhoorn - oboe
Ivar Berix - clarinet
Raaf Hekkema - saxophone
Jelte Althuis - bass clarinet
Alban Wesly - bassoon
