Dubai Concert Committee Launches its Masterseries for the New Season of Classical Music Concerts of International Artists

Dubai-UAE: 30 July 2012 - For 25 years, Calefax Reed Quintet has serenaded classical music lovers across the world with their unique grouping of instruments. The Amsterdam-based ensemble, which arranges and interprets music from eight centuries will now perform live at DUCTAC on 5 September 2012 in Dubai, UAE.

The performance by Calefax Reed Quintet is presented by the Dubai Concert Committee to launch its masterseries for the 2012 - 2013 season of Classical Music concert performances by internationally acclaimed artists. The Committee was established in 1996 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group.

Brigitta Dagostin, Chairperson, Dubai Concert Committee, said: "Calefax Reed Quintet has consistently excited classical music lovers from across the world with their unconventional grouping of reed instruments. Only a few ensembles can lay-claim to creating a new musical genre and the Calefax Reed Quintet is definitely one of them. The group has won numerous prestigious prizes and can be heard frequently throughout Europe and further afield in Russia, China, India, Turkey, Japan and the USA. It is therefore fitting that such a remarkable group inaugurate our 2012 - 2013 season of classical music concerts that will feature some of the most talented and extraordinary classical music artists in the world."

Calefax Reed Quintet consists of five extremely talented musicians with an unusual combination of instruments that include the clarinet, oboe, saxophone, bassoon and bass clarinet. The group brings a fresh sound to audiences around the world, whether it's early music, classical, jazz or world premieres.

Calefax Clarinettist, Ivar Berix, said: "I am very excited that Calefax are to perform in Dubai for the first time; it's always great to discover new parts of the world. A special part of the programme we'll play there will be the combination of two Dutch pieces; one by Sweelinck, the great Dutch composer from the 16th century and one by Mayke Nas, composer and good friend of ours, who has written the exciting piece 'Entrez!' for Calefax's three highest reed instruments: oboe, soprano saxophone and clarinet. Along with the other two instruments in our group, bass clarinet and bassoon, Calefax will perform a suite by my favourite composer, Jean-Philippe Rameau, light and sparkling music from the French baroque.

"There will be classical and romantic music to enjoy as well: the beautiful and well-known Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn, a Spanish fandango by the Italian composer Boccherini and the lively and very entertaining 'Children's Corner' by Claude Debussy. I'm very much looking forward to this concert."

The group's name Calefax, was originally derived from an inscription over the entrance a dingy dusty building on the Bickerseiland in Amsterstam. One of the group's members rode his bicycle to school every day past this building, noticed the inscription and suggested it as a name when forming the group. The reed quintet performed under this name for several years not knowing its true origin until one day, an old man explained that Calefax was an excellent construction business on the Bickerseiland known for building amazing ship motors and for the workers being first-class welders. It was at the time, the hottest place in town both literally and figuratively.

The September performance of Calefax in Dubai will feature: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Hebrides Overture; female composer Mayke Nas' Entrez!; Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck's Fantasia Chromatica; Antonio Vivaldi's/J.S Bach's Concerto in D; Luigi Boccherini's Quintetto Fandango; Jean-Philippe Rameau's Le Rappel des Oiseaux; and Claude Debussy's Children's Corner Suite.

Unlike most classical musicians, Calefax sets themselves apart by playing by heart while standing. In addition, they are renowned for talking to, and engaging their audience in the most creative and captivating ways.

Other Performances scheduled for the upcoming masterseries of the 2012 - 2013 season of the Dubai Concert Committee include: famed piano quintet the Schubert Ensemble of London (8 October 2012), Early Music performers Gli Incogniti with virtuoso violinist Amandine Beyer from Spain (21 October 2012), rising vocal stars Elizabeth Meister and Jennifer Johnson with the exceptionally talented accompanist Alisdair Hogarth (12 November 2012), sparkling and beautiful Russian pianist Veronika Ilinskaya (5 December 2012), and many more.

Air France | KLM are the official airline sponsors for Calefax Reed Quintet's upcoming performance in Dubai. The airlines fly 19 times a week from the UAE to their respective hubs of Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam, connecting to their worldwide networks in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Sponsors of the Dubai Concert Committee include: Emirates, Pullman Hotel Dubai Mall of the Emirates, KLM, Mont Blanc, Airbus, Abraaj Capital, Arabtec, BASF, Chalhoub Group, Deutsche Bank, Dubai Airports, Dubai Duty Free, Lindt Swiss Chocolate, Linklaters, Motivate Publishing, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RAKBANK, StartJG, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Counsul General of the Kingdom of Netherlands, S&N Aweidah, Dr. Wahib Afyouni, Mr. & Mrs. Ataya, Dr. Marco & Annick Fedele, Captain Richard Laurence, Edward B. Quinlan and Donatella Seidner.

For more information on Dubai Concert Committee, subscriptions and upcoming concerts, please visit: http://www.dcc.ae .

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About Dubai Concert Committee
Dubai Concert Committee is a volunteer organisation, driven by a love for music and a commitment to provide high quality concerts in Dubai. The Committee has brought professional international performers to Dubai since 1996, and is the only organisation to do so in the classical area.

Until July 2012 the committee has organised over 165 concerts for approximately 89,000 classical music lovers in Dubai.

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© Press Release 2012