​​​The members of pseudonym come together through a shared language of artistic expression. With a uniquely fresh and spontaneous interpretative approach to music from the 17th and 18th centuries, Liane Sadler, Maya Webne-Behrman, Stephen Moran, and Gabriel Smallwood draw on rhetorical, improvisational, and compositional practices to embrace the ephemeral nature of music and craft captivating experiences for their audiences. Having met at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, the ensemble has performed in the Sonntagsmusik series of the Telemann-Zentrum in Magdeburg (DE), the Brühler Schlosskonzerte for WDR radio, the Erasmus klingt! – Festival Lab in Basel (CH), the International Young Artists Presentation at AMUZ in Antwerp (BE), the National Center for Early Music in York (UK), and the Festins du vendredi series in Basel (CH). With a grounding in historical research and experimental flair, pseudonym reestablishes the use of the traverso in early 17th-century repertoire - a practice that has previously been overlooked in modern-day historically informed performance. Their ground-breaking program of early 17th-century Italian music, Broken Colors, represents the ensemble's initial exploration of this forgotten instrumentation. This pioneering approach furthermore brings fresh energy and curiosity to their interpretations of 18th century repertoire.
​
pseudonym looks forward to upcoming concert highlights at the MA Festival Brugge (BE), Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, Gent (BE), AMUZ, Antwerp (BE), Musica Cordis (CH), Concerts Aurore (CH), the Beverley Early Music Festival (UK), Indianapolis Early Music Festival (US), and more.
American harpsichordist Gabriel Smallwood has never known life without music. Originally from South Carolina, he began his musical studies on piano at the age of three and discovered the harpsichord at twelve, igniting a lifelong passion for early music. His studies led him to Leipzig, Hamburg, and ultimately Basel, where he now resides. A prizewinner at major international competitions in Bruges, PoznaÅ„, and Milan, he is praised for his technical brilliance and expressive, nuanced playing. He performs widely across Europe and the U.S. as soloist and continuo player, and is equally devoted to medieval and Renaissance keyboard repertoire. His artistic formation was shaped by Menno van Delft, Francesco Corti, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, and Corina Marti, while gaining further inspiration from masterclasses with leading harpsichordists. His debut solo album will be released in early 2026 with Ramée (Outhere Music).
​
Maya Webne-Behrman is an American baroque violinist and historical strings specialist celebrated for her sensitive musicality, broad use of colours, and empathic nature. Maya performs throughout Europe and the Americas making music with inspiring colleagues for a wide range of audiences. With bachelors degrees in voice and violin performance, Maya moved to Europe in 2019 to pursue early music full-time, obtaining two master's degrees in baroque violin and a minor in Renaissance studies from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Maya spent a year of postgraduate studies on the art of self-accompaniment in monophonic, Mediaeval repertoire, which brings her much joy. Committed to a humanitarian approach in the dissemination of music, Maya is focused on her craft, who she reaches, and how. Engaged in reevaluating, reflecting on, and nurturing these vast questions, Maya is ever in search of avenues to further expand her community and use music as a catalyst for deep and meaningful connection in this world.
​
​
American gambist and cellist Stephen Moran enjoys a diverse repertoire from the 16th century to contemporary and folk music, with a primary focus on historically informed performance. He combines historical sources, period instruments, and storytelling to create compelling interpretations. Career highlights include performances with renowned artists like Sigiswald Kuijken, the Emerson String Quartet and being a 2023 finalist in the Bach-Abel Wettbewerb.
In addition to performing, he is a dedicated educator. Moran completed his Bachelor's at McGill University, followed by a Master's and a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at Stony Brook University. The son of Baroque musicians, he was surrounded by the sounds of gut strings from a young age, he moved to Basel in 2021 to study gamba with Paolo Pandolfo, and since 2025 is the gamba teacher at the Konservatorium Winterthur.
​
Liane Sadler uses historical flutes ranging from the Mediaeval to Romantic to unearth transtemporal musical worlds. Her curiosity leads her down multifaceted paths through the distinct and yet overlapping spheres of early, contemporary, and traditional music. In addition to being a core member of the ensembles pseudonym, Phaedrus, Sadler & Conrad, and Hourglass, she has appeared with groups across Europe such as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Orkester Nord, Weimar Baroque, and Ensemble Ripieno. Liane completed her orchestral and soloist masters degrees in Baroque, Classical, and Romantic flutes with Professor Christoph Huntgeburth at the University of the Arts Berlin. At the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, she gained a further masters in Baroque traverso with Professor Marc Hantaï, as well as additional postgraduate studies with Johanna Bartz and Marc Lewon in Mediaeval and Renaissance flutes. From 2019-2024, she was a co-founder and -artistic director of the Alte Musik Fest Friedenau in Berlin.
​
