The name Estehaagse Ensemble is a play on ‘Esterhazy’, the palace where Haydn worked, and ‘Haagse’, meaning of Den Haag, the city where the ensemble is based. It was founded by baroque violinists James Hewitt (graduated in 2010 from the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague with Pavlo Beznoziuk, and now teacher of historical improvisation there), and Xiangji Zeng (currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague with Lucy van Dael and Ryo Terakado). Together they specialize in chamber music on historical instruments, working together regularly as a duo, but also as a baroque trio sonata ensemble with Tomáš Kardoš (baroque cello / basse de violon) and Asako Ueda (theorbo). Repertoire ranges from the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, and the ensemble plays in venues ranging from churches throughout the Netherlands to private living room concerts and events such as the opening of Dutch parliament in Ridderzaal.
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James Hewitt |
James Hewitt read music at Girton College, Cambridge, and continued his studies at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague: baroque violin with Pavlo Beznosiuk, and composition with Martijn Padding, Cornelis de Bondt and Guus Janssen. He completed his masters there with research in improvised counterpoint. He plays in ensembles such as the Yiddish Baroque ensemble Simkchat Hanefesh, and the Scroll Ensemble, which specializes in programmes inspired by improvisatory practices of the baroque period, and was finalist in York Early Music Competition 2015. He also works with contemporary improvisation ensembles Brendan Faegre Edge Ensemble, and DaMU Collective (combining music with movement, dance, and theatre). He is a teacher of historical improvisation at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
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Xiangji Zeng |
Xiangji Zeng is a violinist from Beijing. Inspired by a recording of Bach played by Dutch baroque violinist, Lucy van Dael, on period instrument, she moved to The Netherlands to study baroque violin with Lucy, after finishing her bachelor study of law at Beijing Institute of Technology and master study of musicology and classical violin at Central Conservatory of Music in China. In addition to playing with many European early music ensembles, such as Barokensemble Eik en Linde and Ribattuta Musica, she works with Shanghai Camerata, the first early music ensemble in China-mainland, and ensemble Boxwood & Bows, dedicated to the lesser-known Classical trio repertoire for clarinet and strings on historical instruments. In 2018, she received 3rd Prize and Young Audience Award with ensemble IJ SPACE at the International Van Wassenaer Competition (Utrecht).
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Asako Ueda |
The Japanese lutenist Asako Ueda began playing the violin when she was five years old. She studied the violin at Toho Gakuen High School and Toho Gakuen College of Music in Japan. After finishing her Bachelors, she continued at her college to study the baroque violin and composition. She started playing the lute while in college. In 2016, she gave her first lute and theorbo solo recital. Later that year, she moved to the Netherlands to study the lute and theorbo at Royal Conservatoire, The Hague with Mike Fentross and Joachim Held and completed the bachelors, graduating with the highest achievable marks. She has been granted the Excellence Scholarship of Royal Conservatoire, The Hague, allowing her to continue to the Masters. She is a member of IJ SPACE (Taiwan) and Maarten Engeltjes & PRJCT Amsterdam (The Netherlands). She founded Sponte Sua with Pablo Sosa in 2018. She won first prize at the Biagio Marini Competition (Germany) and the third prize at the International Van Wassenaer Competition (Holland), both times with IJ Space.
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Programma
Visions of Venice
Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli (ca. 1630 - ca. 1669/1670)
La Spata Fora, Trombetta à due Violini, from Sonate cioè Balletti, Sarabande, Correnti, Passacagli, Capriccetti
Dario Castello (ca.1590 - ca.1658)
Terza Sonata à due soprano, from Sonate Concertate in Stil Moderno, Libro Primo
Bellerofonte Castaldi (1580-1649)
Cromatica corrent* & La follia*, from Capricci a due stromenti
Dario Castello (ca.1590 - ca.1658)
Prima Sonata à due soprano, from Sonate Concertate in Stil moderno, Libro primo
Marco Uccellini (1603/10 - 1680) *
Aria sopra la Bergamasca, from Sonate, Arie et Correnti, Op.3
La Spata Fora, Trombetta à due Violini, from Sonate cioè Balletti, Sarabande, Correnti, Passacagli, Capriccetti
Dario Castello (ca.1590 - ca.1658)
Terza Sonata à due soprano, from Sonate Concertate in Stil Moderno, Libro Primo
Bellerofonte Castaldi (1580-1649)
Cromatica corrent* & La follia*, from Capricci a due stromenti
Dario Castello (ca.1590 - ca.1658)
Prima Sonata à due soprano, from Sonate Concertate in Stil moderno, Libro primo
Marco Uccellini (1603/10 - 1680) *
Aria sopra la Bergamasca, from Sonate, Arie et Correnti, Op.3