AIOLOS REED QUINTET
The Aiolos Reed Quintet is named after the wind god Aiolos from Greek mythology and was founded in the Rhine-Main area in 2024. As the saxophonist in this ensemble, I am particularly pleased with the unusual instrumentation of oboe, clarinet, bassoon, bass clarinet and saxophone. At first glance, it is reminiscent of the classical woodwind quintet, but the connecting element of the reed creates its own unique timbres and mixtures, offering us a unique, almost infinite variety of expressive possibilities.
Together with my colleagues Julia Büttner (Germany), Ivan Petrov (Bulgaria), David Avendaño (Colombia) and Naama Caspo Goldstein (Israel), I am exploring a repertoire that ranges from contemporary original works to arrangements of classical orchestral and piano literature to popular music. Our aim is to bring the full richness of sound of an orchestra to chamber music halls and unusual places, to inspire composers to write new works for this colorful but still rare instrumentation and to bring this special music to a wider audience.
duo.klax
"Competitions are for horses, not artists", the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók is supposed to have once said. Regardless of whether you agree with this assessment or not, for Danlin Felix Sheng (piano) and me, a competition was a welcome opportunity to form a new ensemble. In 2018, we joined forces as duo.klax to take part in the international "Verfemte Musik" competition.
An absolute stroke of luck for me, because Felix is not only an incredibly technically and musically accomplished pianist, but also a fantastic chamber music partner. Without hesitation, he plunged into the depths of the saxophone literature with me. Starting with original works for saxophone and piano from the early 20th century, we are constantly expanding our repertoire. We love to explore tonal facets, tell musical stories and surprise our audience with varied programs - be it with well-known works, less frequently played compositions or exciting new discoveries.
In 2024, our debut album "Bittersweet" was released by KALEIDOS Musikeditionen.
