Apsara

APSARA is a flexible ensemble built around the recorder, that has been exploring its own paths in new and early music since its foundation in 2000. Beyond the highly varied instruments of the recorder family, ensemble members Katelijne Lanneau, Ines Rasbach and Tomma Wessel enjoy playing giant slide flutes or toy instruments. Apsara regularly uses electronic means and joins hands with other musicians and composers. These collaborations have resulted in world premieres by Alvin Curran, Moritz Eggert, Frederic Rzewski, Annelies Van Parys, Errollyn Wallen, Sarah Wéry, Christian Wolff and many others. Always looking for connections between early and recent music, in 2021 Apsara recorded the programme ‚En attendant‘ on video, in which music from the Ars Subtilior by da Caserta and da Bologna is presented alongside a world premiere by Ghent composer Frank Nuyts. 

Apsara has long-standing collaborations with composers Matthew Shlomowitz and Jasper Vanpaemel. Matthew co-conceived the concert programme ‚Weird Light Music‘ for three recorders and keyboardist Stéphane Ginsburgh, which premiered at De Bijloke in Ghent in 2023, as well as the BBC broadcast and cd release ‘Explorations in Polytonality and Other Musical Wonders’ on Carrier Records in 2024. Jasper’s pieces for Apsara focus on extending the instruments: ‘XYZ’ (2019) was written for three huge slide flutes and electronics, ‘ABC’ (2021) for three tiny toy slide flutes, ‘p pp ppp’ for three melodicas (premiere at festival Fraktionen in january 2025) .

Composers the members of Apsara worked with:

CD „Integrating the Recorder“

Champ d’Action Archive Series number 06
music for Champ d’Action and Tomma Wessel
by Finnissy, Nichols, Nunezanez, Prins, Shlomowitz