Saxophone Quartet Signum
«Are they a reincarnation of the Beatles? Four musicians, four young guys with a “naughty boy” image and all the self-confidence of those famous four “mop tops”, step out on stage, begin to play and set the place alight. There are young girls in the audience - a big screen as if for a pop group (...) A mix of masculinity and sensitivity characterizes the music of the four. Playing mostly without sheet music they are freely visible, standing in a curved formation. Who is looking at whom and who steps forward as the leading voice is completely instinctive and spontaneous, in line with the musical logic. Their stupendous perfection becomes almost a given (...)» - Hamburger Abendblatt (Verena Fischer-Zernin)
The four musicians Blaž Kemperle, Hayrapet Arakelyan, Alan Lužar and Guerino Bellarosa met in Cologne where they founded the SIGNUM saxophone quartet in 2006. The saxophonists have studied in Cologne, Vienna and Amsterdam; they have been influenced and inspired by the Quatuor Ébène, Artemis Quartet and Gabor Takács-Nágy.
Award winners at international competitions including Lugano and Berlin, SIGNUM nowadays play in concert halls and at festivals all over Europe. In 2013 they made their debut in the Carnegie Hall NY. A very special and remarkable achievement was the award Rising Stars 2014/2015 given by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), which took SIGNUM to such prestigious concert halls as the Barbican Centre London, Konzerthaus Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, Gulbenkian Lisbon, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Philharmonie Cologne, amongst others. Recently SIGNUM was awarded “Best Ensemble” by prestigious German Festival Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern.
SIGNUM are constantly searching for new ideas, ground breaking challenges and intriguing artistic encounters. Their sheer joy and experimental versatility are reflected in their extraordinary programs; the four young musicians are also to be heard in classical quartet formations and they continue to create exciting, never before seen joint arrangements with inspiring soundscapes.
In the upcoming seasons, SIGNUM will perform with various exciting chamber music partners, among them Alexej Gerassimez (percussion), Daniel Hope (violin), Tanja Tetzlaff and Matthias Bartolomey (cello), Lukas Geniušas (piano) and Nika Gorič (sopran). They have scheduled various quartet recitals and masterclasses at international prestigious festival and concert halls. Furthermore, in the upcoming season, SIGNUM will continue performing with orchestra; on the program: P. Glass’ Concerto for orchestra and saxophone quartet, Bob Mintzer’s The Rhythm of the Americas and Siegfried Matthus‘ Phantastische Zauberträume. SIGNUM also cares deeply about the audience of tomorrow, and so they have devised their own educational family concert SIGNUM4kids.
The first CD of the quartet DEBUT was launched in 2011 including works by Grieg, Ravel, Bartók and Shostakovich; a second CD BALKANICATION was released in December 2014. A new CD release is scheduled for 2020.
Photo credit : Andrej Grilc
Albums (1)
Super Action 80 Serie II alto
The 'Super Action 80 Series II' called 'Series II' is the oldest model manufactured in our factory. It holds the acoustic qualities of historic models. Backbone of our catalogue, it is the alto versatile par excellence.
Series III soprano
The Series III Soprano ensures greater playability, particularly as regards pitch and blowing.
The blowing emission of its high register extended to high G has been largely facilitated. Selecting a straight or curved neck allows to get well acquainted with it.
Series III Tenor
The 'Series III' Tenor has marked, when released in 1997, an actual revival of the great playing flexibility of the old models. This gives it an ease of playing very much appreciated by saxophonists of all levels.
Super Action 80 Series II Baritone
The 'Super Action 80 Series II' baritone offers excellent consistency of sound over the whole register, without break-up between low and high notes.
It develops a particularly warm and mellow tone, thus sublimating the features characteristic to this instrument.
E-flat alto saxophone Claude Delangle mouthpiece
This pioneering bi-material mouthpiece with its unique acoustic and sound properties testifies to Henri SELMER Paris’ evergrowing desire to improve its products. The golden metal ring lines the entire bore and allows for a denser, fuller sound with increased projection. The acoustic performance of this new alto saxophone mouthpiece signed “Claude Delangle” will charm saxophone players and audience members alike.