Quink opens Arts at Noon

A performance by the much lauded Dutch a cappella ensemble, Quink, will open this year's Arts at Noon Series on Thursday, January 16. The free performance begins at noon at the Louis Armstrong Theatre on GVSU's Allendale Campus.

Quink, whose singing is described as combining 'knife-edged precision and spirited style,' is made up of five professional singers from the Netherlands who have established a reputation for captivating their audiences with not only their 'expert vocal technique,' but their 'infectious sense of musical fun' (Cleveland Plain Dealer). The ensemble's repertoire ranges from Renaissance madrigals to folk songs to arrangements by contemporary composers.

Since its inception in 1978, Quink has risen to the top of its field and is invited to prestigious concert series around the world. Following the success of its first U.S. tour in 1985, the ensemble now returns every year and has had residencies at such institutions as Dartmouth College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Future seasons include tours throughout Europe and the Far East.

In addition to its many CDs, Quink can also be heard on radio and television and at music festivals all over the world.

According to a Los Angeles Times review, Quink's name was invented by its members as a composite of various Dutch words including kwinks-lag (humor) and kwetteren (to chirp). Members are sopranos Mariet Kaasschieter and Mariette Oelderik, alto Marleene Goldstein, tenor Harry van Berne, and bass Kees Jan de Koning.