Linos Ensemble
For over 40 years, the Linos Ensemble has been delighting audiences and the press with its perfection and compelling immediacy. Founded in 1977 by the oboist Klaus Becker, the core ensemble of five wind players, five strings and piano initially devoted itself successfully to the traditional repertoire of mixed chamber music, but soon set off for new shores: World premieres of contemporary compositions, their own concert series in Cologne, voyages of discovery between chamber music and symphonic music, special projects with music and language, harmony music for Schubert's opera "Alfonso und Estrella" with the cabaret artist Hanns Dieter Hüsch or Schönberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" with Salome Kammer are among the activities of the versatile ensemble.

The concerts of the Linos Ensemble not only show the result of intensive rehearsals, but above all the enthusiasm for working together on interpretations that are always questioned anew, the unbroken joy in newly discovered scores and the curiosity about current compositional trends. The Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten described the experience as follows: "This was an exquisite concert that the Linos Ensemble gave us. Its name, which comes from Greek mythology, explains the title: Linos, god of rhythm and melody. After what we have heard, we may add: also the god of a tremendous creative power and colourful art of differentiation." The success of the chamber ensemble is certainly also due to the fact that all members are also active in other musical fields - as orchestral musicians, as teachers and soloists - different fields of work that mutually stimulate each other in their interplay.

The ensemble's repertoire now includes over 130 works, from Bach to Stockhausen, from trio to chamber symphony.

The musicians have conquered the recording market - initially records, then CDs - with more than 40 brilliantly reviewed and partly award-winning productions. On the occasion of the ensemble's 40th anniversary, the eight-part CD series was released with recordings of works from Arnold Schönberg's "Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen", for which the ensemble has rendered outstanding services.

For its recording of chamber music works by Franz Schmidt, the Linos Ensemble was awarded an ECHO Klassik in 2017. ARD and ZDF have already dedicated extensive portrait programmes to the artists.

For their latest CD recording in the 2020/21 season, the Linos Ensemble has selected the two orchestral serenades by Johannes Brahms in chamber music formation. The musicians have also recorded pieces by the French pianist, composer and piano teacher Henri Bertini - once again a premiere recording of rarely performed chamber music works. Both CDs will be released in autumn 2020.