Two of Johannes Brahms’ late masterpieces, the Clarinet Sonatas in E Flat and F Minor, and the Sonata Op.105a by Josef Rheinberger are performed by two leading figures on the Dutch musical scene, the award-winning clarinettist Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer and pianist Hans Eijsackers.

Dutch clarinettist Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer studied at the Juilliard School for Music in New York and has won several first prizes at international competitions such as the "International Competition for Youth" (Lisbon 1994) and the “RTBF Jeunes Solistes” (Brussels 1993). In 1999 he made his début in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Since then, Lars has played in major venues such as the Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Musik Verein Vienna, and the Philharmonie Berlin.

When he was only 13 years old Hans Eijsackers won the first Rotterdam Piano-Driedaagse and Princess Christina Competition. Since then he has also won the European Piano Competition in 1991 in Luxembourg.

In 1891 Johannes Brahms met Richard Mühlfeld, a violinist in the renowned Court Orchestra of Meiningen, who had recently changed to the clarinet. His playing was a major inspiration to the composer, and he went on to write several of his late masterpieces, including the two Clarinet Sonatas Op.120, for Mühlfeld.

Although mainly known for his organ works, Josef Rheinberger composed an enormous amount of music for other mediums, including symphonies, operas, sacred choral works and chamber music. His Clarinet Sonata Op.105a was written in 1893.