Asko Ensemble

Asko Ensemble was a Dutch chamber orchestra founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1965, which specialized in contemporary classical music. The ensemble regularly performed under guest conductors, including Riccardo Chailly, Oliver Knussen, Reinbert de Leeuw, George Benjamin, Stefan Asbury, and Peter Rundel. Throughout its active years, the group released recordings of works by composers such as György Ligeti, Louis Andriessen, Olivier Messiaen, Edgard Varèse, Claude Vivier, Bruno Maderna, Elliott Carter, and Iannis Xenakis. Their select recordings include works by Claude Vivier conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw (1996), works by Brian Ferneyhough conducted by Jonathan Nott (2003), and Gérard Grisey's Les Espaces acoustiques conducted by Stefan Asbury (2005). In 2008, the Asko Ensemble merged with the Schönberg Ensemble to form the Asko/Schönberg Ensemble, which became active in 2009.