Egidius Kwartet

At the heart of the quartet’s repertoire lies music written during the reign of the Habsburgers (Charles V, Margaretha of Austria, Philip II). With their research, CD's and concerts, the quartet sought and gained attention for the work of forgotten masters such as Nicolas Payen, Cornelius Canis, Thomas Crecquillon and Gheerkin de Hondt. The quartet’s complete recording of Tielman Susato's two Musyckboexkens (NM Classics 92123) and the Dutch songs from Lauweryn van Watervliet’s Songbook (KTC 1314) received much acclaim. In 2001, the Egidius Consort was formed to provide instrumental backing.

In addition to performing Renaissance music, the Egidius Kwartet aims to reinstate an old tradition in which singers are ambassadors of new music from their country. Many contemporary Dutch composers have dedicated works to the quartet.

In order to avoid any semblance of orthodoxy, occasional deviations from the primary mission - 16th century and contemporary Dutch music - are regarded as welcome diversions. For example, the quartet performed a Schubert programme with fortepianist Arthur Schoonderwoerd and soprano Johannette Zomer and sang Kurt Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble. The quartet also joined Combattimento Consort Amsterdam in Lully’s opera Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.

The quartet made successful tours to France, Spain, Germany and the United States and performed at the Holland Early Music Festival, the Flanders Festival, Tage der Alten Musik Innsbruck, Ambronay Festival, Festival de Saintes, Festival des Cathédrales de Picardie in Amiens, Festival de Musique Ancienne à l’Institut Néerlandais in Paris, Festival de Musique de Poitiers, Radovljica Festival in Slovenia, Dubrovnik Early Music Festival and Schleswig Holstein Music Festival.