Biography
The Alliage Quintet, known in its German homeland simply as Quintett, brings together four saxophones and piano in a distinctive configuration. Its name derives from the French term “alliage,” signifying alloy.
Rooted in Germany yet assembled from widely scattered origins, the ensemble was established by Canadian soprano saxophonist Daniel Gauthier. In 1997 Gauthier became the first professor of classical saxophone in Germany, and since 2003 he has instructed at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. His colleagues include Armenian-born alto saxophonist Hayrapet Arakelyan, who studied under Gauthier in Cologne; two German players, tenor saxophonist Simon Hanrath (likewise a former Gauthier pupil) and baritone saxophonist Sebastian Pottmeier, who earned his diploma from the University of Hanover in 1996; and Korean pianist Jang Eun Bae, who has appeared on the separate recording Spirito Latino alongside Gauthier. The combination yields uncommon, nearly symphonic textures.
Its programs draw on music from every historical period, reimagined for saxophone quartet and piano. Every adaptation is created specifically for the group, and when new works are involved the musicians consult directly with the composers. Pottmeier himself has contributed several of these versions. The quintet entered the Sony Classical catalogue in 2008 with an extensively revised treatment of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and had issued five further albums on the label by 2018.
Concert engagements have taken the ensemble to venues throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, including appearances at the Rheingau Music Festival and the Lucerne Festival. The 2011 release Voyage Russes presented transcriptions of Russian staples such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and coincided with a Russian tour. For Dancing Paris the players enlisted violinist József Lendvay in performances of pieces by Milhaud, Satie, and Gershwin. The 2018 album Lost in Temptation assembled alluring dances spanning multiple centuries. In 2023 the quintet resurfaced on the Hyperion label, joining cellist Alban Gerhardt for the all-transcriptions project Phantasy in Blue.
Rooted in Germany yet assembled from widely scattered origins, the ensemble was established by Canadian soprano saxophonist Daniel Gauthier. In 1997 Gauthier became the first professor of classical saxophone in Germany, and since 2003 he has instructed at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. His colleagues include Armenian-born alto saxophonist Hayrapet Arakelyan, who studied under Gauthier in Cologne; two German players, tenor saxophonist Simon Hanrath (likewise a former Gauthier pupil) and baritone saxophonist Sebastian Pottmeier, who earned his diploma from the University of Hanover in 1996; and Korean pianist Jang Eun Bae, who has appeared on the separate recording Spirito Latino alongside Gauthier. The combination yields uncommon, nearly symphonic textures.
Its programs draw on music from every historical period, reimagined for saxophone quartet and piano. Every adaptation is created specifically for the group, and when new works are involved the musicians consult directly with the composers. Pottmeier himself has contributed several of these versions. The quintet entered the Sony Classical catalogue in 2008 with an extensively revised treatment of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and had issued five further albums on the label by 2018.
Concert engagements have taken the ensemble to venues throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, including appearances at the Rheingau Music Festival and the Lucerne Festival. The 2011 release Voyage Russes presented transcriptions of Russian staples such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and coincided with a Russian tour. For Dancing Paris the players enlisted violinist József Lendvay in performances of pieces by Milhaud, Satie, and Gershwin. The 2018 album Lost in Temptation assembled alluring dances spanning multiple centuries. In 2023 the quintet resurfaced on the Hyperion label, joining cellist Alban Gerhardt for the all-transcriptions project Phantasy in Blue.
Albums
