Ab Koster

Ab Koster


Ab Koster was born in the Hague as the son of a Dutch horn-player. He finished his studies in his native town with the "Prix d'Excellence". Afterwards, he continued his studies at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen (Germany) with Hermann Baumann, who described him as the "leading horn-player of his generation". From 1977 to 1990 Ab Koster was the first horn-player of the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg. In order to be able to accept all the invitations as a soloist and chamber musician he left the orchestra in 1990. He has appeared with orchestras such as: Radio Symphony Frankfurt, Orchestre National de Radio France, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Franz-Liszt Chamber Orchestra Budapest, Camerata Academica Salzburg, Residentie Orchestra Den Haag, Tafelmusik Toronto and Concentus Musicus Vienna. He has worked together with conductors like Frans Brüggen, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bernhard Klee, Ton Koopman, Krysztof Penderecki, Christoph Perick, Sandor Vegh, Hans Vonk, Günter Wand, Peter Schneider and Bruno Weil. He has toured all European countries, the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Australia. Ab Koster was a guest at the Salzburg Festival, Holland Festival, Mozart Festival Würzburg, Risöör Kammermusikkfest in Norway and the Moravian Autumn in Brno. He has made several productions for SONY Classical, among others Mozart's Horn Concertos (together with Tafelmusik Toronto conducted by Bruno Weil) and works of Haydn (with l'Archibudelli), played on natural horn. Both recordings have received outstanding critical acclaim. His newest CD (NM Classics) contents hornconcertos of Dutch composers. His partners are the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jürgen Kussmaul. Beyond this he teaches at the Hamburg Music Academy as a professor.

Haydn - The Natural Horn

Cassatio in D Major for 4 horns, violin, viola and bass Hob. deest

Divertimento in E flat Major for 2 horns and string quartet Hob. II:21

Concerto in D Major for horn, 2 oboes and strings Hob. VIId:3

Divertimento à tre in E flat Major for horn, violin and cello Hob. IV:5

Divertimento in D Major for 2 horns and string quartet Hob. II:22

Sony Clasical SK 68253

Ab Koster, horn

L'Archibudelli

Javier Bonet (horn 2), Christoph Moinian (horn 3), Stefan Blonk (horn 4)

recorded in 1995

Internationales Naturhorn Festival Essen 1993

J.S. Bach: Concerto # 1 in F Major BWV 1046 (Wilhelm Bruns, Oliver Kersken)

III. Allegro

J.D. Zelenka: Capriccio # 3 in F Major ZWV 184 (Andrew Joy, Rainer Jurkiewicz)

I. Andante - Allegro - Andante

G.F. Telemann: Suite in F Major for 2 horns, strings and continuo (Claude Maury, Piet Dombrecht)

IV. Menuet. Moderato

V. Bourrée. Presto

W.A. Mozart: Quintet in E flat Major KV 407/386c for horn, violin, 2 violas and cello (Ab Koster)

I. Allegro

L.v. Beethoven: Sextet in E flat Major op. 81b for 2 horns and string quartet (Lowell Greer, Francis Orval)

III. Rondo. Allegro

F. Ries: Sonata op. 34 in F Major (Ulrich Hübner)

III. Rondo. Allegro

F.A. Hoffmeister: Quintet in E flat Major for horn and string quartet (Jan Schroeder)

II. Rondo

L.-F. Dauprat: Sonata in F Major op. 2 for horn and piano (Michel Garcin-Marrou)

I. Allegro moderato

L. Mozart: Sinfonia da caccia for 4 horns, strings and continuo (Jan Schroeder, Ulrich Hübner, Wilhelm Bruns, Richard Seraphinoff)

I. Allegro

J. Haydn (Rosetti): Concerto in E flat Major for 2 horns and orchestra (Lowell Greer, Thomas Müller)

I. Allegro maestoso

M. Haydn: Concerto in D Major for horn and orchestra (Anthony Halstead)

I. Larghetto

J. Haydn: Symphony in D Major # 31 "Horn signal" (Wilhelm Bruns, Oliver Kersken, Michel Gasciarino, Tilman Schärf

I. Allegro

Internationales Naturhorn Festival Essen 1993

Wilhelm Bruns, Oliver Kersken, Andrew Joy, Rainer Jurkiewicz, Claude Maury, Piet Dombrecht, Ab Koster, Lowell Greer, Francis Orval, Ulrich Hübner, Jan Schroeder, Michel Garcin-Marrou, Richard Seraphinoff, Thomas Müller, Anthony Halstead, Michel Gasciarino, Tilman Schärf, horns

La Stagione Frankfurt, conducted by Michael Schneider

Ensemble Les Adieux

Brandenburgisches Consortium

Robert Hill, piano

recorded in 1993