Active from 1980 Members Gerard Bouwhuis | Genre Modern/contemporary | |
Similar Iannis Xenakis, Elisabeth Chojnacka, Diego Masson, Sylvio Gualda, Douwe Eisenga | ||
The Xenakis Ensemble (Ensemble Xenakis in French) is a Dutch ensemble dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. Based in Middelburg, it is known as one of the few ensembles specializing in the works of the composer Iannis Xenakis. It is frequently conducted by Diego Masson, who conducted the performances of many of Xenakis's works, as well as other guest conductors including Huub Kerstens. Its concertmaster is Mifune Tsuji.
The group was founded in 1980, at the initiative of the foundation Nieuwe MUZIEK Zeeland of Middelburg and the pianist Geoffrey Douglas Madge, with the approval of the composer Iannis Xenakis. Its repertoire includes over 40 compositions by Xenakis, some of which, such as À l'île de Gorée (1986), were written for the group. The ensemble also performs recent works by Luca Francesconi, Morton Feldman, Willem Breuker, Jin Hi Kim, Huib Emmer, and Bunita Marcus.
The Xenakis Ensemble has released several CDs of the music of Iannis Xenakis (one in collaboration with the harpsichordist Elisabeth Chojnacka), as well as several other composers.