Berlage Saxophone Quartet

“We want to touch people’s emotions with music. Working with passion and motivation, with an artisan craftwork and a deep approach, always focused on innovation and versatility.”

In September 2008, four inspired saxophonists founded the Berlage Saxophone Quartet in the Berlage building, a student residence at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

The Berlage Saxophone Quartet (BSQ) is seen as an advocate of a new generation of saxophone quartets that gives this discipline a strong position in the world of classical music.
What stands out is the unique combination of musical depth and refinement, combined with an appealing presentation in which other disciplines enhance the musical message.
The quartet consists of Lars Niederstrasser (soprano saxophone), Peter Vigh (alto saxophone), Juani Palop (tenor saxophone) and Eva van Grinsven (baritone saxophone).
Peter Vigh is also the quartet’s arranger and composer, whose qualities are gratefully and frequently made use of.
Founded in 2008 in the class of Arno Bornkamp at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, they won a Stipend at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (2011), the Dutch Classical Talent Award (2013) and the Kersjes Prijs (2015).
Striving for the highest possible level of playing in chamber music, they took lessons with one of the best string quartets in the world: the Artemis Quartett in Berlin.
Their two CDs SaxoFOLK and In search of freedom, released by the German label MDG, received much acclaim from both the national and international press.
“The Berlage Saxophone Quartet’s playing is phenomenal and they create an exceptional richness of sound with just saxophones.” (Luister)
The BSQ produces concerts, shows and videoclips for which they cooperate with writer-storyteller Jan Brokken, music theatre group Via Berlin, light design artists as Blauwe Uur and film director Sander Burger.
Convinced of the quality of the saxophone quartet as a powerful and contemporary messenger of layered classical music, the BSQ plays music that up to this day has a current emotional value, from renaissance to contemporary music.

“What an invigorating breath of fresh air in the staid and respectable world of the quartet! The instruments “vibrate” and breathe as one in the Berlage Saxophone Quartet – the verve and enthusiasm of these masters of their instrument jumps out uninhibitedly at the listener. A great pleasure!”

Valentin Erben – Alban Berg Quartet

Lars Niederstrasser

Soprano Saxophone

Soprano saxophone (1985) performs as a soloist, with his ensembles the Berlage Saxophone Quartet and Selmer Saxharmonic and in orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2014 he published a Cd with baroque solo Works.
Since 2018 he is professor of classical saxophone at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.

Website: www.larsniederstrasser.com

Peter Vigh

Alto saxophone

Alto saxophone (1987) is not only a saxophonist but also a composer. His pieces were played by the Nederlands Blazersensemble, members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ensemble Black Pencil and the choirs of Vocaal Talent. He won prizes at the Princess Christina Competition and the first Prize during the competition for composition of the VSB poetry prize.

Website: www.petervigh.com

Juani Palop Tecles

Tenor saxophone

Tenor saxophone (1982), joined the Berlage Saxophone Quartet in 2018.
Graduated Cum Laude at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2009, she collaborates with different orchestras like NedPho, Residentie Orkest, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Since 2019 she is the side subject and Methodiek saxophone teacher at the Royal conservatory of the Hague.

Website: www.juanipalop.com/en/home/

Eva van Grinsven

Baritone saxophone

Baritone saxophone (1981), loves to play chamber music and recorded well received cd’s in different settings: saxophone and percussion duo with Ramon Lormans Sax&Stix (New Amsterdam) , with soprano Sabine Wuethrich & pianist Daniel Kramer (Cafe Dansant) & the Busch’ Quintet with the Dudok String Quartet.

Since 2014 she has a duo with pianist Helena Basilova, with whom she released in 2016 the album ¨Rendez-vous Russe¨ winning the Echo Klassik Prize in 2017.

Since 2016 she is the teacher of classical saxophone at the conservatory of Maastricht.

Website: www.evavangrinsven.com

2024/2025

Benefietconcert: "Images" [Try-out]- Oud Katholieke Parochie st Vitus, Hilversum 22 nov 2024, 20:30h

Max Knigge selects Preludes and Images by Debussy and will arrange them for the special combination of saxophone and string quartet. These will be complemented by Interludes composed by himself using the different line-ups and timbres offered by the octet. With their sharp contours, Vladimir Grafov's poetic laser figures give a contemporary counter-colour to Debussy's impressionistic timbres. This transforms the concert hall into an oasis of (sound) colour, movement and light.

"Images" - Chassé Theater, Breda ( Première) November 24th 2024, 19:00h

Max Knigge selects Preludes and Images by Debussy and will arrange them for the special combination of saxophone and string quartet. These will be complemented by Interludes composed by himself using the different line-ups and timbres offered by the octet. With their sharp contours, Vladimir Grafov's poetic laser figures give a contemporary counter-colour to Debussy's impressionistic timbres. This transforms the concert hall into an oasis of (sound) colour, movement and light.

"Images" - TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht November 27th 2024, 20:00h

Max Knigge selects Preludes and Images by Debussy and will arrange them for the special combination of saxophone and string quartet. These will be complemented by Interludes composed by himself using the different line-ups and timbres offered by the octet. With their sharp contours, Vladimir Grafov's poetic laser figures give a contemporary counter-colour to Debussy's impressionistic timbres. This transforms the concert hall into an oasis of (sound) colour, movement and light.

"De Familie Sax" -Theater Zuidplein, Rotterdam 1 dec 2024, 11h

Enter the magical world of the “Family Sax”
A musical adventure for the whole family with the Berlage Saxophone Quartet!
The “Sax Family” is going to move soon. Grandpa Sax is babysitting his three grandchildren in the middle of dozens of moving boxes. They are having a good time but then the bickering starts. Big Sister Sax and Big Brother Sax are making bold plans and are bullying Little Slidy Sax.
With all this family fuss around him Little Slidy prefers to escape into his own fantasy world.

"Images" - Musis, Arnhem December 4th 2024, 20:00h

Max Knigge selects Preludes and Images by Debussy and will arrange them for the special combination of saxophone and string quartet. These will be complemented by Interludes composed by himself using the different line-ups and timbres offered by the octet. With their sharp contours, Vladimir Grafov's poetic laser figures give a contemporary counter-colour to Debussy's impressionistic timbres. This transforms the concert hall into an oasis of (sound) colour, movement and light.

All concerts

"The excellently trained Dutch saxophone quartet (...) proves here that technically everything is possible."

FONO FORUM

Education Berlage Saxophone Academy

Foundation
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Supervisory board:
Alexander Klapwijk (voorzitter)
Boudewijn Koopmans (penningmeester)
Cécile Gouder de Beauregard (secretaris)

The Berlage Saxophone Quartet Foundation is an ANBI organization.
You can make a donation to the bank account of the Berlage Saxophone Quartet foundation.

Under certain conditions your donation is tax deductible (different rules apply to donations from outside of the Netherlands)
Do you want to calculate it? then click here to see your personal tax benefit!

For more information, please visit: anbi.federatiecultuur.nl

IBAN NL67RABO0363270639
BIC RABONL2U
RSIN / fiscaal number ANBI: 851605163

Beloningsbeleid

Beleidsplan 2021-2024

Jaarrekening 2023

Contact zakelijk@berlagesaxophonequartet.com