Ensembles

児島瑞穂が所属するアンサンブルの紹介です。

Euphoria Brass Sextet

Pictures by Johannes Wilenius 

Euphoria Brass Sextet was founded in 2005, while all members were still studying at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Now the members are spread in different cities in Finland and work as orchestra players or instructors in music institutions. The ensemble has appeared in several festivals such as Lieksa Brass Week and Kymi Brass.

Euphoria Brass Sextet aims to give an euphoric experience to both the audience and the players themselves with high quality music. Its main repertoire spans from the romantic period to present, and the ensemble continuously seeks to develop more repertoire without prejudice. Since a brass sextet is not a standard ensemble, almost all of the music in the sextet’s repertoire is arranged or composed by its members. 

Euphoria Brass Sextet has released an album “Kun” featuring singer-actress Emilia Nyman. Audiences of EBS have been very enthusiastic with the new project “Tango Nuevo” with bandoneon soloist Henrik Sandås.

Muse Trombone Quartet

Pictures: Akira Muto / Hiroaki Ahn

Muse Trombone Quartet was founded by Mayumi Shimizu, a principal trombonist of the Southwest German Radio (SWR) Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, and three other Japanese women low brass players living in European cities; Shiori Doi in Dresden, Rina Endo in Leipzig and Mizuho Kojima in Helsinki. Rena Takeda, who currently lives in Japan, serves as the ensemble’s percussionist.

Muse trombone quartet’s first performance was held in Koskela church, Helsinki 2021. In the same year, the ensemble had a Japan tour having 7 concerts and released the CD album “Song & Dance” (Octavia Records), which received a “special choice” mention in the Record Geijutsu -magazine. In 2022, the quartet appeared at the Erft Classics -festival in Germany and had toured again in Japan. The ensemble has been praised for its “brilliant sound and versatile stage” (Band Journal) and “original arrangements, beautiful phrasing and harmony” (Record Geijutsu).