Role

:

Ensemble

Country

:

United Kingdom

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Opera

 

The Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble is a classical music ensemble that was founded in 1999. The ensemble is based in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, and is closely associated with the Aldeburgh Festival, which was founded by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears in 1948. The Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble was founded by the festival's current artistic director, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and the ensemble's first concert was held in June 1999. The ensemble's founding members included some of the most talented musicians in the world, including violinist Thomas Zehetmair, cellist Steven Isserlis, and clarinetist Michael Collins. Since its founding, the Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble has become one of the most respected and sought-after classical music ensembles in the world. The ensemble has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Berlin Philharmonic. The Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble has also collaborated with some of the most renowned conductors in the world, including Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Daniel Harding. The ensemble has also worked with some of the most talented composers of our time, including Thomas Adès, George Benjamin, and Magnus Lindberg. One of the highlights of the Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble's career was their performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2013. The performance was conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and featured soloists Sally Matthews, Mark Padmore, and Christian Gerhaher. The performance was widely praised by critics and was hailed as one of the most powerful and moving performances of the War Requiem in recent memory. Another highlight of the Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble's career was their performance of Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time at the Aldeburgh Festival in 2015. The performance featured Pierre-Laurent Aimard on piano, Thomas Zehetmair on violin, Steven Isserlis on cello, and Martin Fröst on clarinet. The performance was widely praised by critics and was hailed as one of the most powerful and moving performances of the Quartet for the End of Time in recent memory. The Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble has also won numerous awards and accolades throughout their career. In 2002, the ensemble won the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music. In 2005, the ensemble won the Gramophone Award for Chamber Music for their recording of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. In 2010, the ensemble won the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Ensemble. The Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble continues to be one of the most respected and sought-after classical music ensembles in the world. The ensemble's commitment to excellence and their dedication to performing some of the most challenging and rewarding works in the classical music repertoire has earned them a reputation as one of the most important ensembles of our time.

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