Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble

roeland Hendrikx - clarinet
Nicolas Dupont - violin
Sander Geerts - viola
Sebastien Walnier - cello

Programme:

WA Mozart
Quartet Kv317d
- Allegro moderato
- Andante sostenuto
-Rondo

B. Crusell
Quartet No. us 4
- Allegro molto agitato
- Menuetto
- Pastoral
-Rondo

O.Respighi
- Aria Italiana
- Aria di Corte

R. Kokai
Quartettino
- Sonatina
- Scherzino
- Canzonetta

Those who are famous expose themselves to imitation, pastiche and parody. But sometimes, very sometimes, imitators match or exceed their model. This program pays homage to the superior forgers of Mozart and other great names.
The Clarinet Quartet kv 317d is Mozart, but not quite: Mozart wrote it, but not for clarinet and string trio. It is assumed that the publisher Johann Anton André distilled from two violin sonatas and a piano trio, which were among the 300 autographs he bought from Constanze after Mozart's death. In any case, the arrangement for quartet is so skilfully realized that it has nothing to envy to the originals.

Radio composers who do not want to program Mozart's Clarinet Concerto again, like to turn to one of the three concertos by Bernard Crusell (1775-1838), the most important Finnish composer before Sibelius. Crusell was an innovative clarinet virtuoso, as evidenced by his second clarinet quartet, which, according to the reviewer of the Allgemeine Muzikalische Zeitung, is "actually a concerto in disguise" with a soloist and accompanying strings.

Few composers have suffered so much from the epithet "pastiche" as Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936). Respighi was the most important Italian composer of the early century, but he is best remembered as an arranger of period music. The Aria Italiana and the Aria di Corte come from the Antiche arie e danze, a series of suites in which Respighi distills orchestral versions of 16th-century lute pieces. He does it so masterfully that we honor him as a "re-storyteller" as well.

Finally, the nostalgic Quartettino by the Hungarian Rezs Kókai (195mitates nothing and no one, but in its neo-classical rhapsodic frivolity, it recalls Mozart. Or almost Mozart...
The Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble focuses on the rich repertoire for clarinet, piano and strings. Although he gave the ensemble its name and is its driving force and inspiration, Roeland works exclusively with peers and like-minded musicians. He chose them for their technical and expressive craftsmanship, but more importantly for the individuality they bring to the chemistry of playing together. Because the Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble is a fixed ensemble that remains faithful to a small number of musicians, it can function - much more than occasional formations - as a laboratory in which diverse minds and styles work together towards a point of fusion. crushing.
The ensemble debuted on "Klara in deSingel" in and has since performed for many top concert halls and festivals, including Concertgebouw Bruges, deSingel Antwerp, Festival Flanders, and more. Composers Piet Swerts, Alain Craens and Mathias Coppens, among others, have already dedicated works to the ensemble.

Roeland Hendrikx | clarinet played solo clarinet in the National Orchestra of Belgium for many years. In , however, he resolutely opted for a solo career. As a soloist he has performed with, among others, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchester philharmonique royal de Bankok, The Belgian National Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, I Fiamminghi, De Beethoven Academie, Boho Strings, Casco Phil, Ataneres, l Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra and Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra. He also remains a passionate defender of chamber music, notably with his own ensemble Roeland Hendrikx. Roeland teaches at the Maastricht Conservatory and at the Luca School of Arts in Leuven.

Nicholas Dupont | violin is certainly one of the most active Belgian chamber musicians of his generation. As a member of the Kugoni trio, the Malibran quartet, the Argenta trio and the Andaluza duo, he has performed in venues such as Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields (UK), Bozar, Flagey, Amuz, deSingel and Concertgebouw Brugge (BE). He is also a member of the Young European String Camerata and the English Chamber Orchestra. These chamber orchestras took him to major concert halls such as the Liszt Academy (Budapest), the Musikverein (Vienna) and the Barbican (London). Nicolas teaches at the Brussels Conservatory.

Sander Geerts | alto has been the conductor of the violas of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra since . He has been a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras, including the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonie Baden-Baden and The London Philharmonic Orchestra. With the pianist Yasuko Takahasi, he forms the "Duo Agineko". This duo has won several awards at international competitions, such as the International Young Performers Competition in Madeira (Portugal), the Yong Musician International Chamber Music Competition in Barletta (Italy) and the International Brahms Competition in Pörtschach (Austria).

Sébastien Walnier | is the principal cello of the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra (Brussels). He began his cello studies at a very young age, in the classroom by Laurent Chantraine. At the age of 13, he won the first prize at the Royal Conservatory of Liège (Belgium). Four years later, he obtained the higher diploma in cello (with Maryse Douin) and the higher diploma in chamber music (with Cécile Evrard). From to , he taught chamber music at the same conservatory. He perfected his technique with Edmond Carlier, a pupil of André Navarra, but it was his meeting with Roland Pidoux at the Cnsm in Paris that marked a decisive stage in his development. Finally, he received the teaching of Daria Hovora and Michaël Hentz. As a soloist and chamber musician, Sébastien Walnier performs in a wide variety of contexts and ensembles, including a duo with Alexander Gurning (piano) and a string trio with cellist Lorenzo Gatto and violist Diederik Suys. In , Sébastien Walnier received the Musician of the Year Award from the Union de la Presse Musicale Belge. He plays a cello by Giovanni Grancino from 1699, which was lent to him by a private patron.

Photo: © Zoemin