Amsterdam Sinfonietta comprises 22 gifted chamber musicians, embodying ensemble-playing at the highest level. Led by its artistic director Candida Thompson, the orchestra tours the world with adventurous programmes and crossovers with other music genres and art forms. Characterised by drive and dedication, Amsterdam Sinfonietta is considered to be the top string orchestra in the Netherlands and enjoys international acclaim. It champions and renews its own genre, captivating audiences with its innovative and refreshing approach. From the start the orchestra has embraced the entire repertoire for string orchestra, ranging from classics to newly commissioned works and striking arrangements.
Founded in 1988 with Lev Markiz as its first artistic director, Amsterdam Sinfonietta has gone on to enjoy international success under the direction of Candida Thompson since 2003, making successful tours of Europe, Australia, China and North and South America. It has performed in major concert halls throughout the world, including London’s Barbican Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Amsterdam Sinfonietta undertakes intensive collaborations with national and international soloists. Top musicians such as Janine Jansen, Sol Gabetta, Kian Soltani, Thomas Hampson, Beatrice Rana, Fazil Say, Rufus Wainwright and Wende all share our desire to explore and expand the creative process and take an innovative approach.
Besides live performances, we regularly record CDs and music films in the studio. With our regular recording label Channel Classics we have issued 14 CDs since 2004, including The Mahler Album, The Argentinian Album and, most recently, Lento Religioso, a compilation of short arrangements for string orchestra. The orchestra has also made recordings for ECM, Sony Classical and Deutsche Grammophon. Our first classical music film Strings was premièred in March 2020, followed by the films Misirlou (traditional), Atashgah (Jacobsen) and Tango (Piazzolla).
Amsterdam Sinfonietta stands out for its adventurous programming. Besides championing the core string repertoire, the orchestra devises original and captivating combinations of music works, connecting old and new music and familiar and unknown repertoire. It also commissions new compositions and arrangements. Amsterdam Sinfonietta initiates surprising collaborations and creates groundbreaking programmes involving other art forms, such as film, dance and theatre.
