The Mirek Quintet was initiated in 1973 by four clarinet players in Malmö. We knew each other well by playing together in various orchestral assemblies and we felt that we would get on well together, musically as well as socially. In 1974 another clarinet player was affiliated with the ensemble and the Mirek Quintet was established.

The Mirek Quintet has performed in a large number of chamber orchestras, concerts in churches, entertaining purposes, recorded original compositions for Swedish Public Radio (SR) (e.g. Werner Wolf Glaser, Maurice Karkoff, Sixten Liedbeck, Bengt Hallberg), participated in several TV-shows and produced school concerts. Two international tours have also been accomplished. In 1977 the Mirek Quintet recorded their first album. It was sold out, but several of the tracks are now available on our recently released CD “The Mirek Quintet – 30 years”. In 1984 the second album was recorded with financial support of the Government council of culture. It contained Swedish music suited for clarinet ensembles.

Today, the Mirek Quintet has an extensive collection of instruments featuring one Ab-clarinet, one Eb-clarinet, 3 Basset horn, one Alto clarinet, one Bass clarinet and one Contra-alto clarinet. After the retirement of the founder of the Mirek Quintet, Mirek Honzak, the clarinet player Kjell Olsson, solo clarinet player of Malmö symphony orchestra, was engaged as a new primary. The repertoire includes more than 600 works for clarinet ensemble in various kinds; original compositions, arrangements and transcriptions of ancient as well as new pieces. Through the years, several Swedish and foreign composers have been writing music that was dedicated to the Mirek Quintet. The International Clarinet Association had their “ClarinetFest 2002” in Stockholm , in which the Mirek Quintet was invited to perform on the opening day.