Album Notes

There is no doubt that Mozarts close friendship with Anton Stadler (1753-1812) was essential why he was so interested in the basset horn, a clarinet in F originating to 1760 in Passau. Anton and his brother Johann (1755-1804) were both distinguished virtuosos on the clarinet and the basset horn. They were in the service of Prince Galizin, the Russian envoy to the Viennese court, and they played frequently in the concerts of the “Wiener Tonkünstlersozietät” (The Viennese Society of Composers). In september 1785, Anton Stadler joined the freemasons lodge “Zum Palmbaum”. It is very likely that Mozart himself was present at this ceremony. In october of the same year, Mozart and Stadler played a concert in Zum Palmbaum before the basset horn players Anton David and Vinzent Springer. Also in other lodges, the duo was very wellcome to perform. Many of the chamber music compositions Mozart wrote for the basset horn were initially ment for performing during masonic celebrations. Anton Stadler was not only the clarinet player to whom some of Mozart’s greatest works were dedicated. He was also a composer like many professional instrumentalists of that time, even if his undeniable talent cannot be equated with the genius of his friend Mozart. Nevertheless, his 18 terzetti for 3 basset horns show a great sense of musical creativity, highly contributing to the popularity of the basset horn in 18th century Vienna.


Hideaki Iwai studied music at the Osaka University of Education, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in 1972. Thereupon his skills were perfected with prof. Walter Boeykens at the Royal Flemish Music Academy in Antwerp, Belgium. There he achieved the ‘Higher Diplome’ for clarinet in 1974.
He performed in recitals and concerts with a.o. the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Telemann Chamber Orchestra in prestigeous concert series.
Hideaki Iwai toured in Hong Kong (1977) and Shangai (1984). He performed together with prof. Dimitrov of the Sofia Conservatory of Music in Bulgaria in 1984 and with the St. John Quartet (Canada) in 1993. In 1995 he recited with the New York Philharmonic String Quartet and in 1998 het performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in Bulgaria. At present, Hideaki Iwai is professor at the Osaka Shin-Ai College and at the Osaka University of Arts, where he founded the ‘Hideaki Iwai Clarinet Choir’, concisting of former and present students. With this remarkable ensemble, he performs in Japan, Korea, New-Zealand, Belgium, Ireland and the USA.

Bob Van de Velde studied the clarinet at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music in Antwerp with prof. Walter Boeykens, where he graduated in 1990 with a First Prize Cum Laude. Afterwards, he specialized in playing period-instruments at the Brussels Conservatory with prof. Guy Van Waas. During his studies, he intensively examined and studied the repertoire for the Bassethorn and the bass-clarinet.
On a free-lance base, Bob appeared in virtually all Belgian professional Orchestras. In 1989 he founded the Flanders Clarinet Quartet. With this extraordinary ensemble, he performed over 400 times all over Europe, South-America and the Far-East. His very first concert tour brought him to the Salzburger Festspiele in Austria, where he played in duo with his wife Christa Steenhuyse (piano). In 1997 he was invited to perform with the Orquesta Nacional del Ecuador under maestro Medardo Caisabanda. Since then, he gives masterclasses and performs all over Europe, in Japan and in South-America.

Takehiro Shinohara studied with prof. Hideaki Iwai at the Osaka University of Arts. After his studies in Japan, he perfected his skills in Paris at the ‘école normale de musique’ with prof. Guy Deplus, where he obtained the ‘Diplôme Supérieur de concertiste’ and the ‘Diplôme Supérieur de musique de chambre’ in 2006. His other professors are Philippe Berrod, Nina Patarcec and Walter Boeykens (masterclass Bruges 2004). Takehiro Shinohara has won several international competitions: ‘Concours of Wind Instruments 1998’ in Hyogo (Grand Prize), ‘Concours for young musicians 2002’ in Osaka (2nd prize), ‘Concours international Ufam’ in Paris (2nd prize) and the ‘Concours International Leopold Bellan’ in Paris (1st prize).

Kazumi Itani graduated at the ‘Osaka College of Music’ bij prof. Tetsuo Ogawa. Zij won de derde prijs in de ‘Takatsuki Music Competition’.
In 2005 concerteerde zij op het Wereldcongres van de World Clarinet Society in Tama (Tokyo).