Concert 1

Pianist-composer Sebastian Huydts (b. 1966) studied piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory in The Netherlands with Edith Lateiner Grosz. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Chicago, where he studied composition with Shulamit Ran, Marta Ptaszynska, Howard Sandroff, Cliff Colnot and John Eaton. He concertizes in solo and chamber music and conducts various ensembles that promote contemporary music. He has been commissioned by renowned artists who have adopted his work in their repertoire. At present, he is chair of the Music Department at Columbia College in Chicago as a full professor. His works are published by Jeanne of Minneapolis.

Works composed for Orion:

Quintet #1 for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
Written for Orion's 10th anniversary season, 2002-03

Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano
Written for Orion in 2014, in memory of Sebastian's friend, Elise Mann

Quintet #2 for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
Written for Orion's 25th anniversary season, 2017-18

Delicias de Blancanieves (Snow White's Delight) for Piano Solo, written in 2015
Several movements adapted by Sebastian for Orion's 2019-20 season

How did you connect with Orion in the first place?

I had the privilege to perform with Florentina (Ramniceanu, Orion violinist) on various occasions and in various ad-hoc ensembles during the 1990s. We became fast friends and remained in contact. In early 2002, Florentina attended a concert of the Rembrandt Chamber Players, where the first of two works that Rembrandt had commissioned was premiered. She liked what she heard so much that she suggested I write a piece for Orion for their 10th anniversary. The other members of Orion concurred, and thus I composed the first clarinet quintet for Orion. This was the beginning of a now-decades-long collaboration.

What inspiration did Orion's combination of musicians provide for the works you created and arranged for the ensemble?

As a composer, my main interest is in chamber music, especially for strings and woodwinds, in particular the clarinet, in varying combinations with piano, so the Orion Ensemble was a natural fit! In addition, all members of Orion are eminent musicians that share their mutual love for the classical canon of chamber music. Their performances are always inspired, dedicated, joyful, insightful and memorable; Orion presents their music in ways that naturally invite the audience in and hit the essence of any piece of chamber music they touch, regardless of style. They know how to turn a performance into a happening. Their decades-long collaboration shows. They play with resolve, with one voice, and maintain that passion that brought them together in the first place, which is quite an accomplishment in itself. As advocates of my music, they're a dream come true.

What have you found most enjoyable about working with Orion?

That's a difficult question! There are so many facets that make working with Orion enjoyable, and I can't possibly rank them, as they are all of equal importance: their collegiality; their warmth; their dedication and friendship; their excellence as musicians in every aspect; their candid feedback and advice; their invitation to perform with them; their dedication to finding those gems of chamber music that have not received the attention they deserved; their willingness to take chances and put a lot of energy in learning new repertoire by local, young composers (I can't say that anymore, but I was one of those young and relatively obscure composers at the time they first commissioned me!). Each member of Orion contributes unique qualities; the ensemble breathes a level of positivity that's rare.