The Egidius Kwartet was founded in 1995 by four members of Ton Koopman’s Amsterdam Baroque Choir with the aim of performing Renaissance and contemporary music from the Low Countries (in the broadest possible sense). The quartet was named after Egidius, an elegiac character from one of the most beautiful Middle Dutch poems contained in the so-called Gruythuys Manuscript.

At the heart of their repertoire lies music written during the reign of the Habsburgers (Charles V, Margaretha of Austria, Philip II). With their research, CD's and concerts, the Egidians sought and gained attention for the work of forgotten masters such as Nicolas Payen and Cornelius Canis. Their integral recording of Tielman Susato's two Musyckboexkens received much acclaim. A recording devoted to the chansons of Thomas Crecquillon was released in 2004 and in 2005 the Egidians presented the forgotten oeuvre of Gheerkin de Hondt. In 2006, the Songbook of Lauweryn van Watervliet was released on CD. For some programmes and recordings, the quartet is joined by renowned guest singers and instrumentalists.

[The above is copied from the official website: www.egidiuskwartet.nl] Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.