Brandenburg Reed Quintet
While the string quartet and the wind quintet have been cornerstones of chamber music for centuries, the reed quintet is a discovery of our own time. Only over the past two decades has this combination of oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon established itself internationally.
What unites these five instruments is the reed: together they form an ensemble of remarkable tonal cohesion and an astonishingly rich palette of colours.
The Brandenburg Reed Quintet brings together five distinguished musicians whose experience spans leading orchestras, international festivals, contemporary music, and chamber performance. Among them are orchestral musicians such as Christoph Enzel, a frequent guest with the Berlin Philharmonic and other major orchestras, and Peter Michel, who has performed for many years with the Komische Oper Berlin and numerous other Berlin ensembles. Equally integral to the ensemble are dedicated educators such as Sabina Matthus-Bébié and Jochen Schneider, alongside Matthias Badczong, whose work as a chamber musician and organiser of his own concert series reflects a lifelong commitment to contemporary music.
The result is an ensemble that moves effortlessly across stylistic boundaries. Whether performing Baroque masterpieces, French Impressionism, contemporary works, or Gershwin, the Brandenburg Reed Quintet reveals familiar music in unexpected colours while showcasing the remarkable expressive possibilities of this exceptional instrumentation.
Oct. 22, 2026 - 7:30pm
(doors open 6:45pm)
Brandenburg
Reed Quintet
Peter Michl (oboe), Christoph Enzel (saxophone), Sabina Matthus-Bebie (clarinet), Matthias Badczong (bass clarinet), Jochen Schneider (bassoon)
program:
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Le Rappel des oiseaux
Suite in e-Minor from „pièces de clavecin“
arr.for Reedquintett by Raaf Hekkema
This arrangement bridges three centuries in a fascinating way. Dutch saxophonist and arranger Raaf Hekkema frees Rameau's Suite in E minor from its original sound world (composed for harpsichord in 1724) and gives it a new, surprisingly natural home in the reed quintet. Oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon bring the Baroque refinement to life in a dazzling palette of colours—remaining faithful to the spirit of the original while creating something unmistakably new..
Maurice Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
arr.for Reedquintett by Raaf Hekkema
Maurice Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is both a tribute to the French Baroque tradition and a work of unmistakably Ravellian refinement. In his arrangement for reed quintet, Raaf Hekkema opens up a new sonic dimension to this music. Oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon set cascades of sound afloat, let motifs travel seamlessly from one voice to another, and create a shimmering spectrum of colours. It is unmistakably Ravel—and yet it sounds as though you were hearing him for the very first time.
George Gershwin: An American in Paris
arr.for Reedquintett by Raaf Hekkema
George Gershwin's An American in Paris combines the elegance of the French capital with the vibrant energy of young America. Strolling melodies, bustling street scenes, jazzy rhythms, and symphonic brilliance merge into a richly coloured musical promenade. With effortless ease, the music moves between elegance, wit, and exuberant joie de vivre—bringing the concert to a dazzling close through the eyes of an American discovering Paris.