Elise Christiaens
Elise Christiaens studied modern bass in Ghent, Brussels, Essen (Germany) and the Banff Centre for Arts in Canada. At the same time, she took masterclasses to broaden her understanding of performing historical bass, joining the European Union Baroque Orchestra in 2000. With a great deal of passion and devotion, she has made the 8-foot violone her own. Through a more than 10-year partnership with Sigiswald Kuijken and his orchestra La Petite Bande as well as with Jos Van Immerseel's ensemble Anima Eterna Brugge, Elise has explored a wide range of repertoire extending from Baroque music to music of the classical and romantic eras. Active as orchestral musician and soloist, her musical activities have taken her in many directions, ranging from early music together with ensembles such as Bach Collegium Japan (Masaaki Suzuki) Il Gardellino (Marcel Ponseele) and Zefiro Torna (Jurgen De Bruyn) as well as modern repertoire with Ictus. Today, Elise plays in several international orchestras and ensembles (BachPlus, B'Rock, FolliArt).