Composers Slide Quartet

The composers slide quartet was founded in 2004 with the aim of expanding the repertoire for trombone quartet with high-quality works of new music through close collaboration with contemporary composers and to perform them appropriately. The name of the ensemble was chosen in reference to the Composers String Quartet, which was founded in 1963 in the USA and was active until the 1990s.

 

The members of the composers slide quartet–Andrew Digby, Patrick Crossland, Andreas Roth and Jan Termath–play a variety of low brass instruments. These freelance musicians play regularly with renowned international new music ensembles.

 

At first glance, a trombone quartet is a very homogeneous instrumentation. However, through the use of different instruments and many different mutes, it offers a diversely differentiated spectrum of sound colors. Through solo pieces in the programs, the compositional work of composers:inside can be illuminated more deeply.

 

The composers slide quartet has so far premiered new works by Annesley Black, Philipp Blume, Uwe Dierksen, Hans-Joachim Hespos (sextet), Robin Hoffmann, Tim Kienecker, Mesias Maiguashca, Cathy Milliken, Johannes Nied, Rolf Riehm, Uroš Rojko, Valerio Sannicandro, Johannes Schöllhorn, Cornelius Schwehr, Hannes Seidl, Anna Sowa, Günter Steinke, and Alistair Zaldua-most of them commissioned by CSQ. In collaboration with the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, the Schlagquartett Köln or the Ensemble Resonanz, the quartet was involved in world premieres by Bernhard Gander, Wolfgang Mitterer, Enno Poppe, Wolfgang Rihm, Martin Smolka and Gerhard Stäbler.

 

Recordings by SWR, WDR and DLF Kultur as well as recordings on CD document this work.