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Please also visit Ensemble Vertebrae website and Youtube channel.

Live recordings
This album is a very special collection of pieces recorded live by Ensemble Vertebræ in the United States, Mexico, France and Switzerland, between 2009 -year in which the ensemble was founded- and 2019. The album includes four pieces for flute and piano, honouring the ensemble’s original formation, and three pieces for chamber ensemble. The last one was recorded during Ensemble Vertebræ’s 10th anniversary tour in Switzerland. The ensemble has worked closely with all the composers from this album before performing the pieces, the majority of which have been premiered at international contemporary music festivals. The pieces by José Luis Hurtado, Juan Arroyo and Víctor Ibarra were written specially for Ensemble Vertebræ

Ensemble Vertebræ
Founded in 2009 by the flautist Olivia Abreu and the pianist Anna Paolina Hasslacher, Ensemble Vertebræ presents chamber works for various formations. Its creative process is based on searching, premiering and furthering contemporary innovative repertoire in musical performances, didactic concerts for children and young people, lectures and pedagogical workshops, as well as working closely with composers for novel pieces. Ensemble Vertebræ has worked with composers such as: Ivan Fedele, Beat Furrer, Bruno Ducol and Iradj Sahbai. Original projects of musical and pedagogical value have been presented in different countries of Europe and America, and in various contexts and festivals, such as the Cervantino International Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico, the 28th Contemporary music Festival of Santiago, Chile or the IGNM season in Zurich and Basel, one of the most important international organisations for the promotion of contemporary music. As a result of the constant collaboration of Ensemble Vertebræ with the composers, the participation of the ensemble in the recording of “Son et Sens”, CD with music by Iradj Sahbaï, stands out.

Tracks and credits 

José Luis Hurtado: “Action Painting” (2017)
for piccolo, piano and percussionist
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, piccolo
Camille Émaille, percussions
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
World Premiere 26 October 2017
Music from the Americas Concert Series
Keller Hall, University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, USA

Bruno Ducol: “Sonate” (1982)
for flute and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, flute / alto flute / piccolo
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
3 May 2014
Centre Culturel Zoroastrien
Paris, France

Beat Furrer: “Presto” (1997)
for flute and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, flute
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
Premiere in Mexico 20 October 2015
XLIII Festival Internacional Cervantino
Salón del Consejo Universitario
Guanajuato, Gto. Mexico

Juan Pablo Muñoz: “Le livre des cinquante noms” (2005)
for flute, bass clarinet, viola and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, flute
François Schreiber, bass clarinet
Bruno de Souza, viola
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
World Premiere 12 May 2009
Conservatoire de Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France

Juan Arroyo: “Gravitasson IIb” (2015)
for alto flute and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, alto flute
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
World Premiere 20 October 2015
XLIII Festival Internacional Cervantino
Salón del Consejo Universitario
Guanajuato, Gto. Mexico

Víctor Ibarra: “…sobre el horizonte” (2011)
for flute and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, flute
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
Premiere in Mexico 20 October 2015
XLIII Festival Internacional Cervantino
Salón del Consejo Universitario
Guanajuato, Gto. Mexico

Maurilio Cacciatore: “Three studies about the weight of drops” (2015)
for flute, violin, cello and piano
Ensemble Vertebræ
Olivia Abreu, flute
HannaH Walter, violin
Mathilde Raemy, cello
Anna Paolina Hasslacher, piano
Premiere in Switzerland 16 April 2019
IGNM Basel
Gare Du Nord – Bahnhof für Neue Musik
Basel, Switzerland
Recorded by SRF, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen.

Album cover artwork by Luis Cisneros