Alliage Quintett

"This saxophone ensemble unites two things: charm and perfection. The five artists dazzle at the peak of musicianship.
They play with breathtaking virtuosity, absolute power and exhibit a drive which simply astonishes.”
Suedkurier
 
Alliage is the most charming alloy of four saxophones and a piano. Unique to this ensemble, which has been awarded two Echo-Klassik prizes, is that the illusion of a large orchestra becomes reality.
The melodic and expressive-sounding saxophones combine with the orchestral fullness of a piano to create a listening experience of the highest quality.
The quintet was founded by Daniel Gauthier, first professor for classical saxophone in Germany (Hochschule für Musik, Cologne) on soprano. He is joined by three of today’s best saxophonists: Miguel Valles Mateu, alto; Simon Hamrath, tenor; and Sebastian Pottmeier, baritone. The quintet is completed by the pianist Jang Eun Bae, a chamber musician specialist.
The quintet‘s core repertoire consists of well-known masterpieces of all epochs, cleverly arranged for the ensemble with exceptional sensitivity. With its unique programs, the Alliage Quintet performs successfully while it straddles the fine line between subtle chamber music and sophisticated entertainment, and is able to fill the major concert halls and festivals throughout Germany and the rest of Europe (France, Spain, Italia, Belgium, The Netherlands) in addition to concerts in Russia, Turkey, the United States, Canada, Korea and Australia, where they recently toured extensively with renowned clarinetist, Sabine Meyer.
In addition to several radio broadcastings, the ensemble has so far released eight CDs. Its first, Una voce poco fa, received the renowned ECHO Klassik award in 2005. On their second CD, A la recherche du rêve perdu, the five musicians travelled back in time to Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, to confront his instrument with works of his contemporaries Mendelssohn and Schumann. Masquerade with arrangements of J.S. Bach and re-compositions of Vivaldi‘s Four Seasons was released on SONY Classical. Their Voyage Russe recording was released (SONY) with a musical focus on the Belle Epoque Russe and was accompanied by an extensive concert tour throughout Europe. The ensemble again won the renowned ECHO Klassik award in 2014 for their fifth release Dancing Paris (SONY). In February 2016 their sixth CD, Fantasia (SONY), was released with Sabine Meyer as guest, with works by Borodin, Stravinsky, Bernstein, Shostakovich, and Dukas. Its seventh recording, entitled Lost in Temptation, includes works by Saint-Saëns, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, and a special arrangement of the Three Penny Opera, by Stefan Malzew (SONY).
And the latest, with cellist Alban Gerhardt as guest soloist, explores works by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsy, Falla, Shostakovitch and Gershwin (Hyperion).