ENSEMBLES

ERNST OTTENSAMER & SONS - clarinet trio

The clarinet trio "Ernst Ottensamer & Sons" with Ernst Ottensamer, solo clarinet player of the Vienna Philharmonic and his sons Andreas and Daniel (solo clarinet player of the Vienna Philharmonic too), founded in 2005, wants to make public the rare literature for three clarinets and for related instruments as bassett horn, bass clarinet or Es-clarinet.
The repertoire of the trio includes original compositions for one till four clarinets and also arrangements, also with piano, played by guests and the members of the trio.
Numerous concerts in some countries of Europe, Japan and USA and in famous concert halls as in Wiener Musikverein, Brucknerhaus Linz, Musikverein Graz, Innsbruck, etc. and at festivals (Pannonisches Forum, Gottfried v. Einem Tage, Salzburger Schlosskonzerte, Internationale Musiktage Dürnstein, etc.).
2009 will appear a CD with works for 2 clarinets and basset horn at Octavia Records.

THOMAS GABRIEL TRIO
Thomas Gabriel, piano
Gunnar Polansky, double-bass
Martin Klusmann, percussion
The three musicians knowed each other when they studied at the Folkwang Music High School in Essen and founded 1981 the Thomas Gabriel Trio. The profession of Thomas Gabriel today is as organist and precentor in Seligenstadt, Gunnar Polansky is member of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen and Martin Klusmann is music teacher.

The trio appeared in hole Germany and also in foreign countries. It produced numerous recordings for different radio and TV stations.

1985 the Thomas Gabriel Trio was awarded with the Kulturpreis of the city of Essen.

Remarks to the repertoire:
The jazz arrangements of the music from J.S. Bach by the Thomas Gabriel Trio are thought for disclosed music lovers, they enjoy to listen, how the music of the venerable Johann Sebastian Bach will be plunged in an "adventure with regard to style" - and survives it without harm.
The music of the Thomas Gabriel Trio differs from its forerunners essentially in the following aspects:
- the arrangements follows always the hole original composition
- the harmonic and architectural structure remains unaltered
- the proportions between the music Johann Sebastian Bachs and the improvisations of the Thomas Gabriel Trios are in a good balance.
(remarks of Thomas Gabriel in the booklet of the CD "Bach Jazz")

WIENER VIRTUOSEN - Members of the Vienna Philharmonic

The basic cast of the ensemble is a string quartet with double bass and a wind quintet, regarding the repertoire it can be made bigger or smaller. The literature includes works from Viennese classic till music of the 20th century, played with single strings and winds as in the score written and also arrangements made for the ensemble.
Many well known soloists appeared in many concerts with the Wiener Virtuosen in several countries of Europe, USA and Japan.

THOMAS CHRISTIAN ENSEMBLE

The Thomas Christian Ensemble was founded as "Wiener Streichquintett" from the violinist Thomas Christian. Now it plays in various castings from string quartet till big ensembles with strings, winds and further instruments. The repertoire of the ensemble includes et al. string quartets of Wilhelm Kienzl or the arrangements of the Schoenberg-Verein, for exemple of Bruckner's seventh Symphony, Mahlers Fourth, his songs for orchestra or of Waltzes of Strauss.
All the members of the Thomas Christian Ensemble are busy in different professions. They come together regularely for specific projects.The ensemble has recorded numerous CD's and was guest et al. at Schloss Elmau, at the Bruckner-Fest in Linz, at the Klangbogen in Vienna, the Beethoven-Fest in Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, Rheingau-Festival, Ludwigsburg Schlossfestival and at the Carinthian Summer in Villach and Ossiach.
Permanent members of the ensemble are: Thomas Christian, 1st violin, Melina Mandozzi, 2nd violin,
Ferdinand Erblich, viola, Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg, violoncello, Hans Winking, double bass, Alois Brandhofer, clarinet, Andrew Joy, horn, Richard Hyung-Ki Joo, piano, Roberto Zarpellon, harmonium


Please order further information about other chamber music groups that collaborate with us.