Amsterdam-based guitarist Esther Steenbergen feels at home in the classical, the contemporary and the Latin-American repertoire. As a soloist and as a member of innumerable ensembles including the highly praised Amsterdam Guitar Trio, she performed in North and South America, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa and throughout Europe. As an accompanist she works on a regular basis with baritone Maarten Koningsberger (the Netherlands), soprano Kim Young Hee (South-Korea) and Edison Award winning mezzo-soprano Tania Kross (Dutch Antilles).

Esther Steenbergen studied classical guitar with Hubert Käppel at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, as well as Musicology at the University of Utrecht. During her studies she took lessons with Pavel Steidl (Czech Republic) and participated in master classes with Manuel Barrueco (Cuba) and Leo Brouwer (Cuba). While still a student, she won first prize in the internationally renowned Maria Canals competition in Barcelona. Esther Steenbergen is the artistic director of the Meesters op de Gitaar concert series at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Together with bass player Eric Calmes and percussionist Enrique Firpi she formed her own trio. Their repertoire includes highly original interpretations of classical guitar repertoire of composers like Astor Piazzolla and Heitor Villa- Lobos combined with compositions especially written for the trio by composers like Ramon Valle and Ernesto Snajer. By taking rhythm as the guideline of their performance they know how to surprise the audience with new as well as with the so-called standard repertoire.

Composer, arranger and bass player, Eric Calmes is just as much at home in jazz, fusion and salsa as he is in classical music. Born and raised in Curacao he came to Holland at the age of twenty. He came to study at the conservatory in Rotterdam. His vitality, flexibility, adaptability and talent at putting down the bass line under whatever type of group has made him a favourite bass player for many musicians ever since. Enrique Firpi was born in Uruguay and was fourteen years old when he played his first paid ‘gig’ and has not stopped performing since.

Enrique Firpi has lived in the Netherlands since 1987; he performs internationally and can be heard on countless CDs. He is teaching at the Amsterdam and Utrecht Conservatoires.

'In co-operation with musicians who incomparable way hold their own, she proves again that, no matter what circumstance, she is a great guitarist or better, a great musician, who always knows how to give the right power and swing to the score.' Luister

'Calmes and Firpi literally conversed with their instruments, trading licks and kicks to build a glorious three minutes lasting coda that alone was worth the admission.' Jakarta Post

'Light as a feather, extraordinarily virtuosic, and with an astonishing naturalness, she performed five preludes full of musical ingenuity' Tubantia

'Pleasurable refreshment after a hot day. Steenbergen takes the listener to a perfect world to which only she has the key.' Klassieke Zaken

'She winks, seduces, holds back and accelerates, always following the music and always as if it has never been different.' Mens & Melodie