Press Review
📌« ...It sounds gorgeous and I don't know, it's a nice change of pace to hear the cello playing in this context supported by those great swelling bellows of the accordion. They do complement each other particularly well...
...Once again from their new album the Duo Kiasma. That is such a cool arrangement of the Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras #5 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos; the arrangement by the Duo Kiasma, the Belgian cellist Pierre Fontenelle and the Luxembourgish accordionist Frin Wolter. That's from their new record, their debut recording. It's called Polaris and it is this week's “In Concert Record of the Week»
CBC radio Canada, Record of the Week, Paolo Pietropaolo, October 11, 2026
📌« We can rejoice in certain arrangements on this new album that are devilishly well done, especially when we sense that it’s not just about sharing a bit of music, but about fusing two instruments, two timbres, to create a profound soundscape—a world brought to life by the passionate hands of these two musicians, Frin Wolter and Pierre Fontenelle. Take, for example, this magnificent arrangement of “Danny Boy,” a traditional melody from Northern Ireland."»
Musiq'3, Ca vient de sortir, Pierre Solot, October 10, 2026
📌 « ...They then tackle music by Bach, Rameau, Villa-Lobos, and Vivaldi. Their versions of the English Suite and Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata are particularly striking...”
Standaard, jc, September 25, 2026
📌 « The high-quality recording features a rich interplay of timbres and imaginative arrangements blended with a fresh touch. Thus, the duo’s concept works perfectly. Bach, Vivaldi, and Rameau blend beautifully in this new guise, and the two musicians’ sensitive, technically superb playing takes care of the rest. »
Pizzicato, 23 September 26
📌 « ...From start to finish, the musical intelligence, the intensity of the interplay, and the subtlety with which the instruments’ timbres blend—whether in lyrical passages (just listen to Bach’s Sarabande or Vivaldi’s moving Largo...) or in the most jubilant and lively moments—are truly awe-inspiring. Cello and accordion: an unexpected pairing, perhaps, but a particularly successful one in this case! ”
Concert Classic, Alain Cochard, September 2026
📌 « .Here, Wolter in particular demonstrates just how refined an accordion can sound when the instrument isn’t treated as a substitute for another keyboard instrument. The bellows allow for subtle dynamic nuances, while Fontenelle weaves through the music with a warm, supple cello tone. Rameau’s lyrical side is given full rein, without losing any of the dancing elegance of his music.» Klassiek Centraal, Jacques Kinnaer, Septembre 4th, 2026
