Uri Caine - Twelve Caprices

The composer and pianist Uri Caine, the only musician to have ever received two ECHO Classical Awards and an ECHO Jazz Award (ECHO can be considered the German equivalent of the GRAMMY) and whose album Othello Syndrome received a GRAMMY nomination, is known for his unconventional adaptations of classical pieces and for his outstanding jazz music.

Over the past fifteen years, Winter&Winter has produced twenty recordings with Uri Caine. In 2010 a pioneering new work by Uri Caine comes into existence in collaboration with the WDR, composed for a string quartet and improvising piano. Uri Caine's Twelve Caprices combine improvisation and new music. Caine crosses a road junction where improvisation and contemporary music meet and point in a new direction.

The Twelve Caprices were tailor-made for Irvine Arditti and his quartet, one of the most distinguished contemporary music ensembles. About three years ago Irvine Arditti and Uri Caine met for a dinner in London. Both musicians were very much interested in each other's work and were from the beginning open to collaboration. In 2009 Uri Caine wrote twelve musical pieces for the Arditti Quartet and piano. In summer 2009 Caine and the Arditti Quartet made the premiere recording at WDR in Cologne.