The ensemble originated in 1974 in The Hague. It was set up by Reinbert de Leeuw, who has been acting as the primary conductor ever since. Soon it became a part of the world’s most important groups dealing with contemporary music. Schönberg Ensemble focuses mainly on the works of three of the most important composers of the Second Viennese School – Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern, and on its later influence on the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The ensemble performs regularly in the most prestigious concert halls of Europe, Canada and the USA. It is a frequent guest at the most important music festivals. It has premiered contemporary music a few dozen times. Many composers have dedicated their compositions to the ensemble, some of whom include: Maurizio Kagel, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Sofija Gubajdulina, Louis Andriessen, Morton Feldman, Klaas de Vries and others. The catalogue of Schönberg Ensemble’s records covers a few hundred pieces by, e.g. Olivier Messiaen, György Ligeti, John Adams and Karlheinz Stockhausen. They have been recorded for radio and television and on CD for the following companies: Deutsche Grammophon, Koch-Schwann, Auvidis Montaigne and Philips (including Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s works), Nonesuch, Teldec and others. In 2006, a special edition of “Schönberg Ensemble” including 22 CDs and 3 DVDs was released, documenting the 30-year long activities of the ensemble. One of the CDs included Słopiewnie by Karol Szymanowski.