The second album from the Flex Ensemble, "En Suivant" (Next!) highlights three different genres of French music: A youthful work by Faure, written in the late romantic piano quartet tradition, character pieces by Ravel in a new arrangement for piano quartet and an eclectic mix of contemporary interpretations of French Chansons from Claude Le Jeune to Georges Brassens.
"It all began with Faure? his C minor Piano Quartet is one of the earliest works that we learned as an ensemble. We immediately formed a personal connection to the quartet, perhaps one of Faure's most popular chamber music works. With its emotional core, instrumental colour, flowing but clear form, and the fascinating story behind its creation, we embraced the challenge of exploring our sound and furthering our comprehension of French musical literature." From the booklet notes.
Known for their musically refined and highly energetic performances, the Flex Ensemble has been thrilling audiences with programs ranging from classical and romantic piano quartet repertoire to modern presentations featuring work by today's preeminent composers like Marton Illes and Gerard Pesson. They regularly collaborate with prominent artists such as Wolfgang Guttler, Oliver Wille or Albrecht Mayer. The group founded the annual Chamber Music Fest Rheinhessen in 2014 as well as the imPULS concert series in Hannover in 2016, and they continue to serve as artistic directors for both.
The Flex Ensemble was awarded 1st prize and the special prize for interpretation at the International Schumann Chamber Music Award in Frankfurt in 2013. They were also winners of the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award 2015 in Lugano and the recipient of awards at the Kiejstut Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition and the Premio Trio di Trieste.
The Flex Ensemble has appeared at venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Beijing Performing Arts Center and Festivals such as the the Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker and the Heidelberger Frühling. Their performances have been broadcast live on German Radio (SWR and NDR Kultur) and Dutch Radio (Radio 4).
