Damask, a vocal quartet

Since its creation in 2014, Damask has been giving voice to the stunning but neglected repertoire for vocal quartet, from the piano-accompanied chamber works of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Haydn to music of the 20th and 21st centuries (a cappella and with various instruments) by Milhaud, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Schönberg, Ned Rorem, and David Lang, among others.

It is also essential for Damask to participate in enriching the repertoire through regular commissions of new works, written for the beauty, unity and versatility of the quartet's unique sound. Damask has premiered works by composers Gregory Spears, Reiko Füting, Lewis Nielson and Federico Mosquera, as well as arrangements of existing pieces by Matthijs van de Woerd and Raphael Fusco.

In late 2018 Damask released its first full album, titled "O schöne Nacht," featuring luscious 19th-century quartets of Brahms, Herzogenberg, and Jenner and piano pieces by Kirchner, recorded with French pianist Flore Merlin on a Streicher instrument original to the period.
It features the quartet's four historic singers: American-Dutch soprano Katharine Dain, French mezzo-soprano Marine Fribourg, English tenor Guy Cutting, and Canadian baritone Drew Santini.
The recording was a collaboration with award-winning producer Frerik de Jong of 7 Mountain Records and has been universally praised: “a perfectly executed, imaginative recital … which certainly leaves us wanting (much) more” (OpusKlassiek); “a remarkable fusion of timbres and palpable collaborative energy” (ON Magazine).

The members of Damask are also passionate about teaching, and are keen to pass on their passion for vocal chamber music. They have given masterclasses for one-voice ensembles at the Koorbiënnale in Haarlem in 2017 and 2019, and at the Conservatoire de Reims in 2023.

Damask has performed at numerous festivals and concert seasons in the Netherlands (Musis Arnhem, De Doelen Rotterdam, Dutch National Opera, Wonderfeel, Koorbiënnale Haarlem, Noorderkerk Concerten Amsterdam), Germany, the USA (Times Center), Turkey (Mersin International Music Festival), England (Snape Malting) and France (Tautavel en Musique, Congrès national des chefs de chœurs, La Matrice Paris). In January 2017, the ensemble was welcomed in residence at Snape Malting - Aldeburgh Music (England), where it worked for an intensive week with pianist Roger Vignoles.

After a difficult period due to the pandemic, which suspended many projects - including a debut at London's Wigmore Hall scheduled for 2021, the ensemble took off again in 2023 under the artistic direction of Marine Fribourg, the quartet's mezzo since its foundation. Her interest in the quartet repertoire remains intact, but the ensemble's geometry is open to other artistic forms and collaborations.

The name Damask refers to a luxurious woven textile motif developed in 14th-century Damascus (present-day Syria), a vibrant meeting point of several major international trade routes where materials, ideas, cultures, and art/design practices were freely exchanged. The resulting damask motif, still in use today, is a fitting metaphor for the ensemble, which weaves together different repertoires, cultural traditions, and musical personalities into a strong and beautiful whole.

NEWS

O schöne Nacht has won the Choc de Classica! We’re delighted that our work on our first album has been rewarded with this prestigious French award. Click here to read the full review of the disc in French or English translation.

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On November 30th, 2018, our first full album was released on 7 Mountain Records: O schöne Nacht, a recording of Brahms and contemporaries. Learn more about the recording and order your copy HERE.

The album has been receiving glowing press coverage: “Praise to Damask, who with the French pianist Flore Merlin have ensured a perfectly executed, imaginative recital, recorded flawlessly by Frerik de Jong, which certainly leaves us wanting (much) more.” Read more of what reviewers think of the album.

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