“You look as if you are really enjoying yourselves!” is the consistent audience response to Divertimenti Ensemble concerts, which are remarkable for their vibrant, spontaneous and communicative performances. An unusual combination of entertaining informality with musical excellence and professionalism, coupled with colourful and informative introductions, adds a special quality of inclusive sharing to the whole concert experience.
Uniquely, four of the players in this outstanding ensemble were founder members at its inception in 1978. All five are top-ranking players with a wealth of world wide concert experience between them, as soloists and orchestral principals as well as chamber music players. Long-standing friends, they share an evergreen love of music making, and a passion for the rich sonorities of the string ensemble repertoire.
Although the core group is a quintet for two cellos, Divertimenti can expand to sextets and octets, spread sideways to quintets for two violas and shrink to quartets, trios, duos and solos. This unusual flexibility is supported by energetic and innovative programming. The centrepiece is naturally the great C major Quintet for two cellos by Schubert. However, Divertimenti has a long tradition of breaking new ground with adventurous repertoire, and championing the work of lesser known composers.