BRISK, the ensemble’s name, is intended to convey an idea of liveliness and wakefulness. A critic once described the ensemble as providing “a coup de grâce for the recorder’s respectable image”. BRISK’s concerts exhibit variation of style and mood, virtuosity and light-heartedness in equal measure. The quartet always appear on stage with an enormous assembly of recorders. Since their founding in 1986, BRISK has given many concerts in important concert halls and festivals throughout Europe, in Bolivia, Canada and the USA. BRISK has recorded for radio and television both in the Netherlands and abroad, as well as recording over ten CDs that have been well received by both press and public.

Its daring programming of early music in combination with contemporary music is designed to expand the borders of the ensemble’s repertoire. Many composers have dedicated works to the quartet. BRISK works regularly with fellow musicians as well as with artists from other related disciplines such as actors, directors, librettists and film-makers.

BRISK made its name through lively performances of early music, the search for little-known repertoire, and for the many arrangements that the ensemble has made, which suit the style and tradition of the instrument. BRISK has collaborated with Amaryllis Dieltiens, Michael Chance, Marcel Beekman, Johannette Zomer, Maarten Koningsberger, the Egidius Kwartet, the Gesualdo Consort, Bernard Winsemius, Leo van Doeselaar, Rainer Zipperling, Mike Fentross and Camerata Trajectina amongst others.

The long list of composers that have written music for the quartet includes Martijn Padding, Kate Moore, Calliope Tsoupaki, Bart Visman, Klaas de Vries, Roderik de Man and many others.

New works are presented as a comment on or as a contrast to older works in BRISK’s programmes. There is also a large quantity of new music in BRISK’s programmes for younger audiences. BRISK regularly gives concerts in collaboration with specialists in contemporary music such as pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama, composer and improviser Guus Janssen, vocalist Greetje Bijma and percussionist Ramon Lormans.

BRISK has created a number of highly successful productions for children with directors David Prins, Jetse Batelaan, Marc Krone, Gienke Deuten and actors Porgy Franssen, Bart Kiene and Hans Thissen.

The quartet possesses a great variety of instruments; its extensive contacts with recorder makers throughout the world ensure that its collection is in a state of continual development. This variety of instruments enables the ensemble to perform works from the Renaissance and the Baroque as well as the 20th and 21st centuries in their correct tuning and with the correct timbre.

Amaryllis Dieltiens studied piano and cello as a child but she was particularly immersed in sports as a dancer and gymnast. At age 17 she decided to follow her heart in music and she started her musical education at Lemmensinstituut Leuven where she studied voice with Lieve Vanhaverbeke. She continued her studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Margreet Honig.

She specialised in opera for two years at the Dutch National Opera Academy where she performed several roles to great acclaim, including Morgana in Handel ’s Alcina, Tytania in Britten ’ s A Midsummer Night’ s Dream, Nella in Puccini ’s Gianni Schicchi and Belinda in Purcell’ s Dido and Aeneas. She graduated cum laude in 2006.

On the professional stage Amaryllis has performed roles including Belinda and Second Woman (Dido & Aeneas – H. Purcell), Zaïde (W.A. Mozart), Venus (Venus & Adonis – J. Blow), Diana (Siren Song – J. Dove), and Giulia (Arminio – H.I. Biber). In 2009 she made her debut at ‘Nationale Reisopera’ in Hippolyte & Aricie (J. Ph. Rameau) as both Prêtresseand Chasseresse. In 2011 she performed Angelica in Orlando by G.F. Handel with conductor Jan Willem de Vriend.

Amaryllis has sung with conductors Juanjo Mena, Henrik Schaefer, Richard Egarr, Alexander Rodin, Jos Van Veldhoven, Johannes Leerthouwer, Drik Vermeulen, Jed Wentz, Michel Tilkin, Jeremy Carnall, Erik Van Nevel, and worked with directors such as Eva Buchmann, Stephen Langridge, Elsina Janssen, Porgy Franssen, Wouter Van Looy, Jim Luccassen, Javier Lopez Pinon and Alexander Oliver.

In concert she has performed with renowned orchestras such as Residentie Orkest, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Musica Ad Rhenum, B’ Rock, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Prima la Musica and with ensembles such as Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Apollo Ensemble and Musica Amphion.

Her repertoire ranges from the early baroque to the modern era in both opera and oratorio. Amaryllis has performed at several well known festivals and concert halls over the last few years such as Festival Van Vlaanderen, Festival Oude Muziek, Grachtenfestival, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, BOZAR, De Doelen – Rotterdam, Theater Bonn, Theaterhaus Gesnerallee Zürich, and Festival de Otono Madrid.

Together with Bart Naessens she founded the ensemble ‘Capriola Di Gioia’. They share a passion for the 17th century and baroque repertoire and they rise to the challenge of performing this moving music in their own personal and expressive way.