The ensemble "Les Cornets Noirs" is made up of young
musicians who came together during their studies at the Schola
Cantorum Basiliensis. The primary group consists of two cornets,
two violins, violoncello and organ and may also, at times, include
singers and other instrumentalists. The principal interest of the
group is to present repertoire which features the cornet, hence the
name of the ensemble. The "black cornet" gained its name due to the
fact that leather was wrapped around the wooden instrument; it
became a favoured solo and ensemble instrument from the middle of
the sixteenth to the end of the seventeenth century, especially in
Italy and Germany.
The repertoire played by "Les Cornets Noirs" is drawn
largely from Italian and German composers of the seventeenth
century, including Heinrich Schuetz and Claudio Monteverdi, and
also music by lesser known composers such as Niccolo Corradini,
Dario Castello, Johann Vierdanck and Johann Staden. The aim of the
group is to present this repertoire with a lively interpretation,
developed through a thorough knowledge of the important source
material of that time including treatises on ornamentation,
continuo playing and other performance-practise issues. The group
is particularly interested - as a result of their own research in
discovering and presenting hitherto unknown repertoire from this
period in order to provide a more comprehensive view of the
characteristics of seventeenth century ensemble
music.
"Les Cornets Noirs" were prize-winners in the "Concours
musiqua antiqua" at the "Festival van Vlaanderen Bruges
2000".
Gebhard David - cornet
Gebhard David, born in ErIangen/Germany in 1973, first
studied the viola da gamba and recorder and, from the age of
twelve, began to play the cornet. In 1993 he entered the Schola
Cantorum Basiliensis as a cornet student in the class of Bruce
Dickey and, in 1997, completed his diploma. In 1997 he founded,
with Bork-Frithjof Smith, the ensemble "Les Cornets Noirs", and
since that time this ensemble has performed in several European
festivals. He also works regularly with ensembles such as "Concerto
Palatino", "La Fenice", "Concerto Vocale" and "Academia" and has
played under the direction of René Jacobs, Jordi Savall, Gabriel
Garrido, Eric van Nevel and Helmuth Rilling. He has appeared in
festivals in Utrecht, Ambronay, Antwerp, Oslo, Danzig and New
York.
Bork-Frithjof Smith - cornet
Bork-Frithjof Smith, born in Hanover/Germany in 1973, first
studied the violoncello, recorder and trumpet, and from the age of
twelve, began to play the cornet. In 1994 he entered the Schola
Cantorum Basiliensis as a cornet student in the class of Bruce
Dickey and, in 1999, completed his diploma. In 1997 he founded,
with Gebhard David, the ensemble "Les Cornets Noirs" and since that
time this ensemble has performed in several European festivals. He
also works regularly with ensembles such as "Concerto Palatino",
La Fenice", "Concerto Vocale", "Academia" and "Huelgas" and has played
under the direction of René Jacobs, Gabriel Garrido and Paul van
Nevel. He has appeared in festivals in Utrecht, Ambronay, Antwerp,
Oslo, Saintes, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and New
York.
Amandine Beyer - baroque violin
Amandine Beyer, born in Aix-en Provence/France in 1974,
began at an early age to study the violin and recorder at the
conservatorium of her home city and later continued her violin
studies at the "Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique" in
Paris where, in 1994, she was awarded the "premier prix" at the
conclusion of her diploma in modem violin. One year later she began
her study of the baroque violin at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
in the class of Chiara Banchini, along with studies in musicology.
In 1997 she completed her musicology degree and in 1998 she
received the "Certificat d'aptitude de musique ancienne". In 1999
she completed her studies at the Schola Cantorum with the diploma
and since then she has worked with ensembles such as "415", "Mala
punica", "La Capella Reial de Catalunya", "La Fenice" and
"L'Assemblé des Honnestes Curieux" which, in 1998, won the "Premio
Bonporti in Rovereto.
Cosimo Stawiarski - baroque violin
Cosimo Stawiarksi, born in Coperino/Italy in 1974, studied
the baroque violin at the Academy of Arts in Bremen and later
musicology at the Christian
Albrecht
University in Kiel. He is currently furthering his studies in
baroque violin as a student of Chiara Banchinj at the Schola
Cantorum Basiliensis. The focus of his work is to research and
perform music from north and middle Germany of the late seventeenth
and early eighteenth century. He has worked with ensembles such as
"Lautten Compagney Berlin", "Leipziger
Barockorchester",
"Johann-Rosenmueller-Ensemble'' and "Ensemble fuer Alte Musik
Dresden" and has played under the direction of Hermann Max, Frieder
Bernius, Paul Goodwin and Howard Arman.
Johannes Strobl - organ
Johannes Strobl, born in Villach/Austria in 1969, is a
graduate of the "Mozarteum" in Salzburg where he completed his
teaching, concert and church music diploma with honours in the
class of Heribert Metzger. He then entered the Schola Cantorum
Basiliensis and studied the organ with Jean-Claude Zehnder,
harpsichord with Joerg-Andreas Boetticher and continuo playing with
Jesper Christensen. He has appeared both as a soloist and continuo
player in various early music ensembles and in the Camerata
Academica Salzburg and has performed in many European countries as
well as Israel, Japan and Argentina. He has worked with many famous
directors including Sir Roger Norrington, Michel Corboz, Giovanni
Antonini and Peter Schreier. In 1998 he was the second prize winner
at the Paul Hofhaimer Organ Competition in Innsbruck. He is
currently completing his musicology studies at die University of
Salzburg, writing a thesis about the origins of continuo playing in
Italyand Germany.
Patrick Sepec - baroque cello
Patrick Sepec,
born in Frankfurt
am Main/Germany
in 1969, studied from 1990 until 1994 with Thomas Demenga at the
Music Academy of Basle. After completing his teaching diploma he
continued his studies with Reinhard Latzko and completed his
concert diploma in 1997. From 1997 until 1999 he studied baroque
cello at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in the class of Christophe
Coin. His particular interests include both contemporary music and
early music. He plays in "Duo Divertito" and in the "Freiburger
Barockorchester" and has appeared in the festivals of Tanglewood
and Ravinia.