Amsterdam Guitar Trio (Guitar Trio)

Founded: Mid 1980’s - Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Amsterdam Guitar Trio is a classical guitar ensemble consisting of Johan Dorrestein, Olga Franssen and Helenus de Rijke, who met while they were students at the Sweelinck Conservatory (Sweelinck Conservatorium). The Trio was active from mid 1980’s to late 1990’s. Their discography includes transcriptions of Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and the J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos.

“Although guitar threesomes tend to get squeezed for repertory and identity by the more common duos and quartets, don't pity the Amsterdam Guitar Trio. Composers from the top of every guitar arranger's hit list may have dominated the short program Friday at UCLA's Schoenberg Hall, but the Amsterdamers' exciting communal arrangements sound like nobody else's.
In fact, their arrangements often verge on recomposition. Rich in percussion and timbral effects, including a novel use of muted guitars, their flamboyant adaptations of three Domenico Scarlatti sonatas certainly had energy and postmodern sass in their favor, while overwhelming the clean, lean textures of the originals. This dynamic, occasionally over-the-top approach worked better in a quirky version of Manuel de Falla's "El Amor Brujo," and best of all in a conglomeration of Astor Piazzolla labeled "Porten~as." – John Henken, Los Angeles Time (February 24, 1997)

Source: Wikipedia Website (February 2012)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2013)

Amsterdam Guitar Trio: Short History | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Amsterdam Guitar Trio (Wikipedia)

Amsterdam Guitar Trio Brings Unique Sound to Schoenberg Hall (Los Angeles Times, February 24, 1997)