In addition to performing in operas and symphonic concerts, the soloists of the Monnaie Orchestra regularly come together to play chamber music. This mainly takes place during the now well established ‘Musical Encounters’ series at La Monnaie on Friday lunchtimes. As a result of these occasional contacts, but also as a result of the performance of Mozart’s Concertante Symphony for four wind instruments and orchestra, there was a growing desire to explore the repertoire for woodwind quintet in a more organized and intensive manner.

The careers of the five members of the quintet have run virtually in parallel.
After winning several prizes in international competitions such as Tenuto, the Trompconcours and the competition of Toulon, they gained several years later much sought after positions of principal play in the orchestra at La Monnaie. In addition they also built up solid reputations as soloists and can be heard on a range of solo and chamber music CDs. They also pass this variety of painstakingly accumulated experience on to their students at the various Flemish Conservatories and in the Lemmens Institute in Leuven.