2 violins, 2 violas, 1 cello

The musicians of PENTA share not only their love for the 18th- and 19th-century chamber music repertoire but also a deep affinity for historically informed performance practice. United by their enthusiasm for the rich, resonant sound of the string quintet, PENTA was formed. As a string quintet, it is unique in its fixed ensemble formation. PENTA performs on historical instruments with gut strings and corresponding bows.

The individual musicians of PENTA can also be heard in ensembles and orchestras on major European stages, including the Netherlands Bach Society, Van Swieten Society, Freiburger Barockorchester, Holland Baroque, Anima Eterna Brugge, Phion, Ensemble Pygmalion, EnAccord String Quartet, AskoSchönberg, Il Gardellino, B’Rock Ghent, Bachplus, Il Fondamento, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Les Musiciens du Prince, and Collegium 1704 Prague. In these roles, they have performed countless concerts, recorded numerous CDs, and won various awards.

The string quintet became especially well-known through Mozart. However, he was neither the first nor the only composer to write for this instrumentation. While the repertoire for viola quintet never grew as large as that of the string quartet, it has remained a lasting presence in music history. Great masters such as Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Dvořák also embraced this ensemble.

A repertoire for a magnificent instrumentation with a wealth of tonal colors and sonority, thanks to the double viola arrangement.

The musicians of Penta play original instruments, provided by the Muziekinstrumentenfonds (NL):
Tine plays a cello by Pieter Rombouts, 1699 (Amsterdam).
Esther plays a viola by Pieter Rombouts, around 1720.
Helena plays a violin by Pieter Rombouts, around 1713, and a violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (Paris), 1829. She also has a Baroque bow on temporary loan from Marcus van den Munckhof (Ilpendam), 2023.