The ALEA Ensemble
offers exciting high-class musival events for many occasions –from baroque, classic, romantic and modern periods as well as contemporary works of the 20th and 21st centuries, also with strong influences from Jazz/Rock/Pop and World Music.

The ensemble is presently performing mostly as a string trio (2 vl, vc) – and upon need also as a string quartet or with piano resp. (in duo, trio, quartet ...); further instruments (flute, clarinet, voice ...) can be added for special projects.

It was founded in 1988 by Gerhard Praesent (composer, conductor) and his wife Sigrid Praesent (violinist) in order to perform interesting programs of traditional (often classical Austrian) and contemporary works for an open-minded audience without any stylistic reservations, but nevertheless emphasizing on high quality.

Today it is the only string ensemble from Graz performing in Austria and internationally regularily for almost 30 years. It has always been the goal of the ensemble to combine the great Austrian classical string tradition with attractive and fascinating contemporary works, often in direct cooperation with composers of high rank.

The ensemble has performed – in traditional, mixed or solely contemporary programs – e.g. at the festivals „Austria Today“ und „Hörgänge“ in the Vienna Concert Hall, at the festivals “Carynthian Summer” and “Styriarte”, at the festival „Nuovi Spazi Musicali“ in Rome, the „Lutoslawski-Festival“ in Lublin/Poland, at the “Earworm”Festival in Berlin, repeatedly in the „Music-Forum Munich“, in the “Austrian Cultural Forums” in Bratislava, New York, London, Washington and Genova, in Torino and Pésaro, in the concert series of „Forum Stadtpark“, „Styrian Tone Arts Association and „die andere saite“ in Graz, in the Bavarian and Croatioan Radio, in the ORF (Austrian Radio) as well as in numerous concerts in Austria and abroad (Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary et al).