An advance into the unknown… A trip down untrodden paths… These are two ways to characterize the programs of the Holst-Sinfonietta, a chamber ensemble based in Freiburg, Germany. The ensemble derives its name from the English composer Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934). It was founded in 1996 by its conductor, Klaus Simon and is composed of instrumentalists from southern Germany. Right from its creation, a priority for the orchestra has been the desire to offer unusual and challenging concert programs of high quality music, irrespective of stylistic barriers. Premieres of works by prominent composers such as Adams, Schwantner, Tüür, HK Gruber, Turnage and Torke testify to the seriousness of that desire. The quality of the selected compositions and their meaningful combination in original programs are the primary considerations behind the concert planning of the Holst-Sinfonietta. The ensemble also has a close connection with the Young Opera Company (YOC), which, in its endeavor to perform masterworks of musical theater, is a perfect complement to Holst-Sinfonietta. In addition to numerous radio productions, the Holst-Sinfonietta has produced several CDs since 1999. The ensemble began recording for Naxos in 2003 and has recorded several projects, receiving outstanding reviews in leading periodicals such as Fono Forum, the BBC Music Magazine, and the FAZ. One milestone for the ensemble was the complete recording of John Adam’s song play “I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky”. In 2008 the Holst-Sinfonietta gave its debut at the ZKM in Karlsruhe with the first performance of Thomas Hummel’s “Aus Trachila” for speaker and big ensemble. In October 2009 a concert with chamber music by Martinu was broadcast live by South West German Radio (SWR). Their latest concert with works by Steve Reich and Terry Riley in January 2010 was once again a big success. “The perfectly led ensemble penetrates deeply into the layers of the music and thereby avoids any monotony one might expect“, critics of the Badische Zeitung commented. Parts of this program have been recorded for Naxos. Future projects include works by Gustav Mahler, John Adams and Polish 20th century composers.
