Azahar Ensemble’s symbiosis between technical perfection, spontaneity and Mediterranean imagination seduces both the public and international critics, who highlight its ‘rich timbre, transparency and dazzling precision’ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), ‘exquisite musical dialogue, planned down to the most minor detail’ (Westfälische Nachrichten) and ‘the ensemble’s incredible class’ (Die Welt), making Azahar Ensemble one of the leading wind quintets in Europe.
Azahar Ensemble was the winner of the ARD’s 63rd International Competition in Munich in 2014, where it was awarded second prize (first prize was not awarded), the Audience Prize and the special ‘Ifp Musikpreis’ Prize. It had previously won the Primer Palau prize at the Swiss Chamber Competition.
Since then, it has performed at the most important concert halls in Europe, such as the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Palau de la Música Catalana, as well as at festivals and cycles such as the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Mozartfest Würzburg and the Festspielhaus Baden Baden. In 2018, it served as the resident quintet of the Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, Canada.
Azahar Ensemble has premiered works by composers such as José Luis Turina and Manuel Martínez Burgos. In Georgia, it premiered a posthumous composition by Giya Kancheli for wind quintet and orchestra together with the Georgian Sinfonietta in December 2021.
The ensemble has shared the stage with outstanding artists like Christian Zacharias, Claudio Martínez Mehner, Judith Jáuregui, Jacob Kellerman and Nicolas Namoradze.
Created in 2010, the Azahar Ensemble takes its name from the orange blossom, which has five white petals and a scent that has inspired countless artists throughout history. After training with Sergio Azzolini, today they continue their perfectionism with performers such as Heinz Holliger and Lorenzo Coppola.
