Conductor: Hans Leenders Featuring: Claron McFadden – soprano Louis Andriessen: Dances Gerard Grisey: Vortex temporum Founded in 1965, the Asko Ensemble is one of the world’s premiere contemporary music groups, whose repertoire embraces the broad spectrum of 20th century composers. They are also committed to bringing young composers to public attention. They have often worked in joint productions with representatives of other genres frequently contributing to film music scores as well as multi-media and dance performances. The ensemble has no resident conductor and since its inception has worked with the likes of Stefan Asbury, George Benjamin, Riccardo Chailly, Oliver Knussen, Reinbert de Leeuw and Peter Rundel. Asko regularly records for radio and has released numerous CDs. One of the most notable events of the last two seasons has been their concert at the New York Alice Tully Hall with the Schoenberg Ensemble presenting a concert of works by Ligeti and Xenakis. They’ve also participated in other world premieres. This includes Michel van der Aa’s opera After Life premiered by the Dutch National Opera and Pierre Boulez’s Pli selon pli, again with the Schoenberg Ensemble, at the 2007 Holland Festival. Asko are bringing to Budapest Louis Andriessen’s 1991 work (linking it to the UMZE Chamber Ensemble’s concert the night before) and a piece by the French composer Gérard Grisey who died in 1998.

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