Amsterdam Sinfonietta was founded in 1988, with Lev Markiz as its first artistic director. Candida Thompson has been the orchestra’s concertmaster since 1995, as well as its artistic director since 1995. Their approach to music-making without a conductor is what distinguishes the group from other chamber orchestras. The ensemble’s latest recording features Bartók’s Divertimento and a string orchestra version of Brahms’s String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111. Thompson says, “These two musical giants are among my personal favorites, bound by their love of folk music, from which they both drew creative inspiration.”