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ABOUT / DUO ÉTRANGE
Dedicated to creating new classical music for modern audiences,
Duo Étrange is redefining vocal chamber music for the 21st century.
Since their founding in 2023, Duo Étrange has had remarkable early success. Their upcoming début album, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and released under Montreal’s iconic label ATMA Classique, features four new compositions by Nicole Lizée, Airat Ichmouratov, Laurence Jobidon, and Jeffrey Fong. The Duo is quickly making a name for themselves on the concert stage and in the world of new music, recently selected by Le Vivier as Pôle Relève artists, and invited to attend Yellow Barn for an artistic residency to prepare an original arrangement of Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre.
The Duo makes their New York debut January 18th.
Recent press include a feature with PAN M 360 and Alain Brunet and press coverage of their recent concert tour in British Columbia.
photo: Huei Lin
Co-founded by cellist Sahara von Hattenberger and soprano Vanessa Croome, the mission of
Duo Étrange is to develop engaging chamber music for modern audiences by blending classical traditions with modern aesthetics. Brought together by John Tavener's setting of Anna Akhmatova's poetry, the Duo discovered the pairing of soprano and cello, while uncommon in the classical canon, allows for new timbral possibilities.
Determined to push boundaries and explore new avenues of expression, Duo Étrange frequently collaborates with other musicians and ensembles, including pianists Kyoko Hashimoto and Joanne Kang. Through their work, Duo Étrange’s aims to support future-proofed production practices with a focus on contemporary compositions, flexible small ensemble works, and digital projects. These values are reflected in their ongoing collaboration with New York Times featured videographer, Huei Lin.
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photo: Michael Nguyen
Duo Étrange is proud to center female identifying, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ creators as part of their creative teams. Their dedication to diversifying classical music is reflected in their partnership with Cantonese Composer, Jeffrey Fong.
This cross-cultural collaboration blends East and West, creating new sound-worlds.
As they continue to evolve, Duo Étrange's commitment to artistic innovation and collaboration promises to leave an indelible mark on the world of music, captivating today’s audiences to help create a more vibrant future for classical music.
If you would like to support Duo Étrange and female entrepreneurship in classical music, please contact our representation for information regarding tax receipts and gifts.
A shared history
Vanessa and Sahara both grew up in small towns on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
Although their childhoods were spent only an hour's driving distance apart, they met in
Montréal through their first collaboration at the historic Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur.
With their early training years spent in the local music and theatre programs of Vancouver Island, both artists followed a desire to explore the world through music, and now split their time between Montreal and New York.
Recent Press
Photography credits: Huei Lin, Michael Nguyen, Tam Lan
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