Duo Amabile

Fascinated from the start by the rapport between the two instruments, musicians Paula Breland (clarinet) and Anna-Katharina Schau (accordion) came together in 2016. This unique combination allows the musicians to present a colorful sound palette with the precision of soloists and the sense of fusion of chamber music. The broad repertoire of the Duo Amabile includes music from the Renaissance up to contemporary works and world premieres specially composed for the ensemble.

Founded at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media, the Duo first won a scholarship from Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Hanover e.V., and shortly there after a scholarship from the Hanover Region. They were included in the concert promotion of the German Music Competition in 2021 and are now a guest at renowned festivals and concert series in Germany such as the Altenberger Kultursommer and the Göppingen Meisterkonzerte. With their Trio [klaŋʃpɛktrʊm], an ensemble for contemporary music together with cellist Jennifer Assmus, Paula Breland and Anna-Katharina Schau won the prize of the German Music Competition in addition to several special prizes.

Clarinetist Paula Breland was born in 1997 in Leverkusen, Germany. She received her first clarinet lessons at the age of fifteen with Eddy Vergauwen. Just one year later she participated successfully in the “Jugend Musiziert” national competition and became a member of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Youth Orchestra. She completed her studies with Johannes Peitz and Ulf-Guido Schäfer at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media with distinction. She is currently studying with Jens Thoben in Lübeck. In 2020 Paula Breland was awarded the Hanover Studentenwerkpreis. In 2022, she was selected as a scholarship holder of the Marie-Luise Imbusch Foundation. In addition to her artistic career, she gained teaching experience at the Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians’ Medicine Hanover and as a clarinet instructor. With her Trio [klaŋʃpɛktrʊm], she has received numerous prizes. The ensemble’s debut album was released in November 2022.

Anna-Katharina Schau began playing the accordion at the age of six after discovering the instrument during her early childhood musical education program. Her interest in contemporary music and new playing techniques took her to the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media. In 2022 she completed her studies with the Master of Music. Anna-Katharina Schau achieved her most recent successes at national and international competitions at the International Accordion Competition in Pula, Croatia as well as the German Accordion Music Prize in both 2018 and 2021. Together with her Trio [klaŋʃpɛktrʊm], she won the German Music Competition 2021 and was subsequently included in its concert promotion. She has received sponsorship from the Hanover Region, the HMTM Hanover Sponsorship Group, Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Hanover e.V., the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, and Neustart Kultur. In addition to her artistic career, Anna-Katharina Schau teaches at two Berlin music schools.

Picture: Zuzanna Specjal

The artist's homepage:

https://www.duoamabile.de/start.html