Susanne Wendler, traverso
Susanne Wendler, born in Kiel, Germany, began to play recorder and then modern flute. In Kiel she had lessons from Ulrich Nagel, first flutist of the “Orchester der Stadt Kiel”. She then continued her lessons with Jean Claude Gerard in Hamburg. 1990 after finishing school Susanne went to Munich and studied modern flute with Prof. Klaus Schochow at the “Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik”. Two years later she moved on to studying orchestral music in Freiburg with Prof. Dr. Mirjam Nastasi and finished 1994 the modern flute studies. In 1995 continuing with the masters degree in modern flute Susanne started to play the traverso. She studied historical interpretation with Karl Kaiser in Freiburg and Frankfurt.
1999 till 2001 Susanne continued her studies with Wilbert Hazelzet at the “Hogeschool voor de Kunsten” in Utrecht. Susanne resided as first solo flute from 1995 until 1998, at the “Chursächsische Philharmonie”. From 1998 she worked freelance with notable ensembles such as “La Stagione Frankfurt”, “Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, “J.C. Bach Akademie” ,“Sans Souci” and “Pramea ensemble”, participating in the fringe concerts of Utrecht Early Music Festival and giving concerts in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Finland and Slovenia. .In spring 2005 and 2009 she joined the “Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra” for a tour through Europe performing J.S. Bach’s “St Mathew Passion”.
Sari Räsänen, traverso
Sari Räsänen was born in Kuopio, Finland, where she studied flute at the Conservatory of Music and Dance. She achieved her teacher’s diploma in 1996 and her soloist diploma in 1999 with Outi Svoboda. In addition to her flute studies, she taught flute in several music schools, and played as a freelancer in the Kuopio City Orchestra.From 1999 to 2000, Sari continued her flute studies at the “ Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, Faculteit Muziek” with Abbie de Quant. Her real mission was to find a traverso teacher in The Netherlands, which was impossible in Finland. Autumn 1999, she followed her first traverso lessons ever with Wilbert Hazelzet. Since 2000, after making a fast progress, Sari could concentrate on her baroque flute studies with Wilbert Hazelzet as a main subject. She loves the sound of the traverso and is keen on searching the possibilities for dynamics, expression and colours. Sari feels at home with the flute and the music of the 18th and the 19th century. During her studies Sari also followed chamber music lessons with other 18th century experts like: Leo Meilink, Haiko ter Schegget, Viola de Hoog, Frank de Bruine, Ku Ebbing, Alda Stoorup, Antoinette Lohman and Anneke Pols. Sari has also participated in master classes in the Netherlands (for example with Maarten Root, Barthold Kuijken), Sweden and Portugal. In June 2002, she completed her traverso Certificate, and in June 2004 her Bachelor of Music with honours. In June 2006 Sari obtained her Postgraduate diploma (Master of Music).Since 2002, Sari has performed in numerous chamber music ensembles in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Slovenia and The Netherlands. In 2002-2006, she performed in the series of Fringe Concerts of the Holland Early Music Festival with several ensembles. With Pramea Ensemble she also participated in the “International Presentation of Young Artists 2003, Festival van Vlaanderen” in Antwerp and played series of concerts in Festival Brežice in 2004, 2005, 2007 and in 2008 in Slovenia. Those concerts were also broadcasted on the Slovenian radio and television. Pramea Ensemble recorded its’ first CD in 2005. In 2005 -2008, Sari performed series of concerts in Kuopio Baroque Festival. Since 2003, Sari has also played in several baroque orchestras in the Netherlands, Finland and Germany. Since October 2006 she playes with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.
Agnieszka Oszanca, baroque cello
Having studied for several years in her home town music school Agnieszka moved to Krakow, where she has studied under the guidance of Jacek Kociuban. As a result of her chamber music experiences developed a keen interest in the subject of authenticity in musical performance. The decision to study early music in The Netherlands followed shortly. She completed her Masters Degree at Utrecht Conservatorium in baroque cello class of Viola de Hoog in the summer 2008. In the last years of her studies she specialized in chordal realization of basso continuo on cello and in the 19th century performance practice.
In 2003 she was a finalist of the International Young Artists Presentation in Antwerp with Pramea Ensemble. Since then Pramea performs regularly around Europe (The Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland...).
In 2006 she was a member of a prize-winning ensemble Quintetto Pentatonica at the Academia Palatina in Mannheim.Agnieszka is an active soloist as well as orchestral and chamber musician, member of Musica Poetica, Ensemble Soluna, piano trio Ryu-Oszanca-Lievonen, Algo Ensemble, cello duo La Chromosfera. In the fall of 2006 she collaborated with Schonbrunn Ensemble on the recording of Mozart flute concertos for the Globe label. In 2007 she performed as a soloist and a member of La Chromosfera in Krakow in the Royal Laboratory of Early Music in 2008. A year later was invited to perform Bach cello suites in Krakow and around the Netherlands. Each year since the summer 2002 she appeared with her chamber groups as well as a soloist in a Fringe of Utrecht Early Music Festival. In the 2008 edition she performed an unaccompanied Bach recitals and as a member of Ryu-Oszanca-Lievonen piano trio.