who almost made the reed quintet seem the best musical format on the planet. - The Times
More about Calefax
The Alba Rosa Viëtor / Calefax Composers Competition offers young composers and reed quintets a stage. Composers aged 40 and under are invited to submit an original work for Reed Quintet. The jury, led by Willem Jeths, selects four works to be premiered on this evening. They will be preformed by Calefax and other leading international reed quintets. There is a main prize of €3,500, a runner up of €2,500 and an audience award of €1,000.
The four-day Calefax Reed Festival gives players of all ages and abilities the opportunity to perform with and learn from expert wind musicians. Enjoy recitals by leading soloists such as Shirley Brill, the world-renowned Israeli clarinettist who has held a professorship at the Nuremberg Conservatory of Music since 2022. Or attend performances by other reed quintets, including the Grammy-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet from the United States. You can also attend masterclasses or workshops led by Calefax musicians. Want to make your own music? Join the play-in event for which Dutch composer Anne-Maartje Lemereis has written a new piece.
Calefax celebrates its 40th anniversary with a big reed (quintet) party: Calefax Reed Festival! A jam-packed weekend of music. A trip down to memory lane for some, a surprise party for others. Come to a concert or (free) activity of your choice. The Calefax Reed Festival is four days of concerts, workshops, meetings and experiences.
Calefax tours six to eight concertprogrammes per season in the Netherlands and tours abroad to a.o. the USA, China, Japan, UK, Eastern-Europe and Germany.
| Fri 26 Sep | 15.00 | Strandbeest Zingt | September Me Festival | Amersfoort / NL | Info | Tickets |
| Fri 26 Sep | 18.00 | Strandbeest Zingt | September Me Festival | Amersfoort / NL | Info | Tickets |
| Sat 27 Sep | 12.15 | Strandbeest Zingt | September Me Festival | Amersfoort / NL | Info | Tickets |
| Sat 27 Sep | 16.15 | Strandbeest Zingt | September Me Festival | Amersfoort / NL | Info | Tickets |
| Mon 29 Sep | 20.15 | Menu de saison 2025 | Concertstichting Hillegersberg - Hillegondakerk | Rotterdam / NL | Info | Tickets |
| Sun 5 Oct | 15.00 | The Music Factory (6+) | Wijcentrum Bakermat | Arnhem / NL | Info | Tickets |
After 32 years of playing together, Calefax has announced that Jelte Althuis will be leaving the renowned reed quintet during the course of this season. Both Althuis and his fellow musicians have expressed their deep regret at his departure. Althuis will continue to play with the ensemble for the entire first half of the season, including the Calefax Reed Festival. This new festival has been organised to commemorate Calefax’s 40th anniversary. Calefax is delighted that Althuis will continue to be involved with them for this significant milestone.
40 reed quintets from around the world will perform a new piece by Michel van der Aa over the course of 40 days. Contribute to a digital stage!
What started in 1985 as an idea by five students has now grown into a musical genre, known all over the world. Over 70 reed quintets have followed in Calefax’s footsteps, and to celebrate this growth, Calefax has launched reedquintet.net—the official platform for the International Reed Quintet Network.