The Interval Chamber

The musicians of The Interval Chamber Amsterdam met each other in April 1996 when, on initiative of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation, there was a concert exclusively with music of Rafael Reina. The ensemble has the following members:
Josep Vicent (percussion and conducting),
Janice Jackson (soprano),
Eelco Beinema (cello),
Jos Zwaanenburg (flute),
Mark Haanstra (double bass, bass guitar),
Lorenzo Ferrandiz (percussion),
Gustavo Gimeno (percussion),
Ernest Rombout (oboe),
Susanna Borsch (recorder),
Gijs Levelt (trumpet),
Stefanie Liedtke (bassoon),
Ruben Sanderse (viola), and
Monica Germino (violin).

On that moment they decided to present themselves as The Interval Chamber; an ensemble of young musicians, specialised in microtonal music and interested in the influence of non-Western classical music on contemporary Western music. Just like the other musicians, conductor Josep Vicent has already amply earned his tracks in contemporary music. This is a necessity, because practising microtonal music demands much extra energy: not only have special playing techniques to be developed, but above all hearing has to be trained in the discerning of very small intervals.

Besides giving concerts, the group has the goal of organising masterclasses, development of projects in cooperation with conservatories and the stimulation of building microtonal instruments.

Conductor Josep Vicent was born in 1970 in Altea (Spain) and studied percussion and conducting at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. His study at the Conservatorio Oscar Esplá de Alicante was completed cum laude. Since 1992 he performs regularly as percussionist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. He is artistic leader of Percussion Group (Slagwerkgroep) Amsterdam and artistic director of the Festival Níts de la Mediterráneo. He was guest conductor with the Synergy Ensemble, the Sydney Contemporary Singers, the Orquesta Sinfónica del Mediterráneo, the Gaudeamus Ensemble and the Radio Metropole Orkest.