Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet

The Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet is a professional Dutch recorder quartet which was founded in 1978 by four students of the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam; Daniël Brüggen, Bertho Driever, Paul Leenhouts and Karel van Steenhoven. Following its formation, the ensemble's reputation grew quickly and was further strengthened at the 1981 Musica Antigua Competition in Bruges where, challenging the competition rules, it performed an unusual arrangement of a Stevie Wonder song and emerged as the winner.

History

During the last 30 years, the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet has enjoyed an international career and are recognized as a serious ensemble of unparalleled virtuosity. They have appeared together at many early music festivals including those in Berlin, Utrecht, London and Sapporo, and regularly tour throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. They also perform separate from festivals in concert halls. In 1998, 2001, 2004, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands requested the quartet to perform for her during official festivities. This will happen again in 2009.

Since its formation, the quartet has continually explored the boundaries of the recorder consort, playing a mix of recorder music from all ages of music, especially from the Renaissance, Baroque and twentieth-century. A number of composers have been inspired to write for the Quartet, which has helped create a new repertoire that proves the recorder to be an important voice of our time.

A few years ago, both Bertho Driever and Paul Leenhouts left Loeki Stardust in order to pursue another career in music. They were replaced by Daniel Koschitzki and Andrea Ritter. After internal struggle, it was decided to end the ensemble which lead to a farewell concert in November 2007. After seeing each other in private, the four founding members of the group decided to regroup in order to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2008, but not to make plans after that since they do not wish to re-establish an ensemble. At present, about 50 concerts are planned all over the world.

Recorded music

The Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet has made a wide range of recordings on CD of recorder music throughout the ages. Two of them were awarded with an Edison Award.

* "Fade Control" (2007)
* "Nocturne" (2005)
* "Fugue around the clock" (2003)
* "Fantazia" (2002)
* "Time Signals"
* "Die Kunst der Fuge"
* "Dutch Masters volume 40"
* "La Spagna"
* "Consort Songs"
* "Pictured Air"
* "Concerti di Flauti"
* "Capriccio di Flauti"
* "A Concorde of Sweete Sound"
* "The Image of Melancolly"
* "Italian Recorder Music"
* "Extra Time"
* "Italian Recorder Music"
* "Virtuoso Recorder Music"
* "Alte Musik im Linzer Schloß"

External links

* [http://www.loekistardust.nl Official website of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ADzwVc-lzA&feature=related Loeki Stardust at Youtube]