With its members hailing from Germany, Australia, Spain and Indonesia, Essenza Ensemble is an eclectic chamber music quintet based in The Netherlands. Formed in 2022 at Codarts University for the Arts (Rotterdam), Essenza Ensemble is comprised of a diverse combination of Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano. As members of the Netherlands String Quartet Academy “NSKA” since May 2023, Essenza Ensemble brings a spirited energy to the stage through a collection of contemporary works and arrangements of masterpieces from the past. The ensemble has performed in concerts across The Netherlands to high audience praise, including the participation at the Zoom! festival in June 2024. Essenza Ensemble has participated in masterclasses of esteemed musicians such as Marc Danel, Petr Prause, Pierre Colombet, Gordan Nikolić, Gijs Kramers, Julien Hervé, Raphaël Schenkel, Juliette Hurel, Nino Gvetadze, Bruno Bonansea, Julie Moulin, Simone Gramaglia, Jules Van Hessen and Kebyart Saxophone Quartet. Since October 2024, Essenza Ensemble is part of the Chamber Music program at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, Germany, under the guidance of Matthew Hunt.
Luca Roncato
Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, received his first flute lesson at the age of 10. Luca later continued his flute studies with Aldo Baerten and Angela Firkins. In 2018 he started his Bachelor study at the Conservatory of Arts Utrecht with Aldo Baerten. In 2022 he started is Master studies at Codarts Rotterdam with Juliette Hurel, Julie Moulin and Wim Steinmann. Luca’s great passion for orchestral playing has resulted in playing with the Rotterdams Philharmonic Orchestra, Junge Norddeutsche Philharmonie, Maestro Jules Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of Hamburg. He did perform in halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Tivoli Vredenburg Utrecht, De Doelen Rotterdam and the National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam Furthermore he toured across Europe where he performed in Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovakia. Since 2022 he is part of the Dutch National String Quartet Academy (NSKA) with “Essenza Ensemble” under the mentorship of Marc Danel. He also received masterclasses from renowned flutist such as: Peter Lukas Graf, Wally Hase, Kersten McCall, Anne-Catherine Heinzmann, Mario Caroli and Christina Fassbender. Luca currently plays on a 9k Miyazawa flute.
Simon Redshaw
Simon Redshaw is an Australian clarinetist based in The Netherlands. Awarded a 9.5 for his graduating recital, Simon holds a Master’s degree from Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam where he studied as a recipient of the prestigious Holland Scholarship under Bruno Bonansea and Julien Hervé (Rotterdam Philharmonic Principal Clarinetists) and Raphaël Schenkel (Lucerne Festival Orchestra). Simon has performed with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra (guest principal bass clarinet) and as principal clarinet of the National Youth Orchestra of Luxembourg and ZommerMusikAkademie Schloss Hundisburg Orchestra. In chamber music settings Simon has performed representing Queensland Ballet under the direction of Li Cunxin, The National Youth Orchestra of The Netherlands on tour and he was a guest artist in the 2024 Muziekfestival Zoom! where he performed with his group Essenza Ensemble as well as performing alongside members of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic.
Ana Enriqueta Moreno Sánchez
Born in Madrid, Spain, she started playing violin at the age of 5. Between her former teachers, we can highlight Pilar Rubio, Miguel Navarro and Juan Luis Gallego, with whom she studied the Bachelor Degree in the Bachelor Conservatory of Aragón, in Zaragoza. There, she also studied chamber music with members of both Cosmos Quartet and Quiroga Quartet. In 2024 she graduated from Master studies at Codarts, with Gordan Nikolić and Goran Gribajčevič as her main subject teachers. During her studying years, she has received masterclasses from violinists such as Shirly Laub and Nicolás Chumachenco. Among her orchestral career we can highlight being part of the Animato Orchestra in the 2023 Concert Tour and being concertmaster for the Orquesta Filarmónica del CSMA. She started being part of Essenza Ensemble in October of 2022, with whom she joined the NSKA in june 2023.
Lluïsa Paredes i Úbeda
Born in Catalonia, studied cello with Maria Geli and Josep Bassal. Later, she completed her bachelor´s degree in cello at the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra (Lisbon), under the guidance of Paulo Gaio Lima and Marco Pereira. Currently residing in Rotterdam, she is pursuing her master´s degree at Codarts with Jeroen den Herder. Recently she had the opportunity to play solo in De Doelen the piece “Schelomo” by Bloch, with the Codarts orchestra. Throughout her artistic development, she has devoted herself extensively to chamber music practice, actively participating in various groups with diverse formations. She is part of NSKA since October 2023. She has always been very interested in multidisciplinary projects, and she collaborates regularly with the performer Pep Aymerich and the visual artist Quim Paredes
Nadia Tumiwa
Nadia Tumiwa is an Indonesian pianist based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In 2024, she obtained her Master of Music degree under the guidance of Nino Gvetadze and Stephane de May at Codarts University of The Arts. Nadia’s artistry shines through her versatile performances as a solo pianist, accompanist, and chamber musician. Her versatility has brought her to wide range of performances, including appearances at prestigious venues like De Doelen in Rotterdam. In 2024, she co-founded Sonora Quatre-Mains, a piano duet that embraces works of female works together with classical repertoire. Nadia also had the privilege to have studied under Amelia Santoso, the late Johannes S. Nugroho, Mario Santoso, Paulus Yusuf, and to have worked in masterclasses with esteemed artists, such as Dr. Ayke Agus, Prof. Nigel Clayton, Dr. Imma Setiadi, Manfred Aust, Josef Anton Scherrer, Prof. Albert Tiu and among many others. Her dedication to her craft has been recognized with several achievements, including first prize at the Gloriamus Piano Competition and the PAL Charity Chamber Music Award with Kuintet 428. She also received the Most Artistry Award and the Outstanding Performance Award at the UPH Chamber Music Festival.