Michael Hasel, flute
Walter Seyfarth, clarinet
Andreas Wittmann, oboe
Fergus McWilliam, horn
Henning Trog, bassoon
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet (Philharmonisches Bläserquintett Berlin) was founded in 1988, during the era of Herbert von Karajan. It was the first permanently established wind quintet in the famous orchestra’s rich tradition of chamber music.
Having maintained its original membership right from the inception, the Quintet is a living witness to the hugely productive and influential musical partnerships of the Berlin Philharmonic with not only Karajan, but also Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle, its two most recent Music Directors.
Naturally, as members of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Quintet has enjoyed important collaborations with every other major conductor of our times, including Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Kleiber, Sir John Barbirolli, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, and Daniel Barenboim, to name only a few.
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet continues to astonish audiences worldwide with its range of expression, tonal spectrum, and conceptual unity. Listeners and critics agree that the ensemble has succeeded in redefining the sound of the classic wind quintet.
The ensemble’s commitement to the wind quintet repertory is passionate and, in 1991, it found a perfect partner for its recording plans: the Swedish BIS Records, already well known in its own right for uncompromising standards. The results of this long and exclusive collaboration have received critical accolades worldwide; indeed many of these recordings are already widely held to be “definitive” or “reference” performances.
In addition to concert appearances throughout Europe, North and South America, Israel, Australia, and the Far East, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet is also a popular guest at such international festivals as the Berliner Festwochen, Edinburgh Festival, London Proms, and the Salzburg Festival. Its television productions and radio broadcasts are seen and heard throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
In recent years, the members of the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet have intensified their teaching and coaching roles with youth; they give chamber music workshops and instrumental instruction in many countries.