Under the leadership of its Artistic Director, Adam Walker, the Orsino Ensemble is a chamber group of flexible formation with five outstanding wind players at its core. This approach is clearly demonstrated on their début recording for Chandos, programming works for solo instrument through to the full wind quintet and piano. The late 19th and early 20th centuries bore witness to significant advances in the design and manufacture of wind instruments, much of the development driven by French makers. At the same time, the rapidly expanding Paris Conservatoire supported not only performance study, but also a vast output of original compositions by their teaching staff for the student body. The varied program on this album captures the spirit of the Belle Époque.
Belle Époque: French Music for Winds – Orsino Ensemble
