EarlyMusicNews.Org

“The Prague baroque orchestra Collegium 1704 and vocal ensemble Collegium Vocale 1704 were founded by harpsichordist and conductor Václav Luks in 2005 on the occasion of the BACH – PRAHA – 2005 project. This marked the beginning of their regular collaboration with the Prague Spring International Music Festival.

Since 2007 Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704 have been residential ensembles of the Saint Wenceslas Music Festival in Ostrava. The year 2007 was dedicated to the composer Jan Dismas Zelenka and his Missa votiva for which the ensembles received critical acclaim at La Chaise-Dieu and Sablé festivals in France. Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704 are also frequent guests of festivals such as the Festival de Festival de Musique de Sully & du Loiret, Festival Baroque de Pontoise, Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay.  …”

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Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 445

“Parallel to the professional orchestra and its concert and recording activities, the Fondazione Academia Montis Regalis Onlus hosts an orchestral training course for young musicians interested in 17th and 18th century repertoire on original instruments ("Corso di Formazione Orchestrale Barocca e Classica").
The course is divided into five cycles of five days each and is directed by tutors of international reputation.

The twenty-three musicians who are selected by an international jury receive a study scholarship and the refund of their expenses for the journey, board and lodging every year.
The scholarship holders take part in an experience that is unique in Italy: they play in a chamber orchestra which is conducted by Italian and foreign directors of international fame for a period of six days every month from January to June.

The orchestra takes part in more public concerts in Mondovì, Turin and other Italian and foreign cities to show the attained artistic level at the end of every cycle.

The tutors and the artistic management decide the programs of the courses by mutual consent: the programs regard the orchestral repertory from the end of 17th to the second half of 18th century, and often they offer the possibility to take part in soloist concerts for the best of musicians.

Thanks to this formula, the young musicians have the possibility of meeting artists of great experience and international prestige and they can examine thoroughly the technical and interpretative points of view of a wide repertory from the first baroque to the threshold Viennese classicism.

The best of the participants have the possibility to be part of the professional orchestra at the end of the five cycles of study.

All the young people who are interested in being part of the Youth Orchestra can visit the web page concerning the auditions.” 

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Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 238

“The Academia Montis Regalis's orchestra has become a professional activity thanks to the numerous concerts and the flourishing discography since 1994.
It has been conducting by the most important international specialists in the field of ancient music: Ton Koopman, Jordi Savall, Christopher Hogwood, Reinhardt Goebel, Monica Huggett, Lucy van Dael, Luigi Mangiocavallo, Enrico Gatti, Chiara Banchini, Alessandro De Marchi, who has been the main conductor for the latest years.

Today the orchestra is ever more in demand and performs in notable concert series and festivals in Italy and abroad. They have appeared at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio in Milan, the Amici della Musica in Perugia, Florence and Padua, the Giovine Orchestra Genovese in Genoa, the Settembre Musica in Turin, the Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti in Rome, the Théâtre de l'Opera in Lille (France), the Théâtre Municipal in Lausanne (Switzerland), the Théâtre Poissy and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (France).”

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Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 230

Al Ayre Español was founded in 1988 by Eduardo López Banzo with the objective of avoiding the mistaken clichés that often surrounded the performance of Spanish baroque music. The spirit of the ensemble made this possible thanks to musicological rigor, performance excellence and with the main purpose of giving new breath to music from the past, making them appear as recent compositions, and then offering them to the contemporary audience.

The name of the ensemble was inspired by the title for a guitar Fugue of the Calanda (Aragón) composer, Gaspar Sanz. In this Fugue he indicated the musician to play with "ayre español" (in the Spanish way). Unfortunately, precisely what that meant has remained in the 17th Century.

With the passing of the time, Al Ayre Español has become not only a prestigious ensemble, but moreover a performance philosophy, finally giving meaning to the Gaspar Sanz's indication. This has been achieved through lot of reflection, performance and mastery. Al Ayre Español is now a way of performing and enjoying music that Eduardo López Banzo has being creating as a work-in-progress, recognisable, requested and acclaimed all over the world, and for all these reasons was awarded the 2004 Spanish National Music Prize.

The fact that Al Ayre Español is more than a specialised early music ensemble, that represents the musical philosophy "al ayre español", has allowed the project to be flexible. This has made it possible to adapt itself to different formats, as a baroque orchestra -acknowledged by its performances of Handel and Bach- and lately as a classical-romantic orchestra -with opera and concert performances of Haydn and Mozart.

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Added on: Jan 30, 2011 | Hits: 473

“Formed in 2002, Belsize Baroque is one of the leading amateur baroque orchestras. It comprises young professionals, students and committed amateurs. The orchestra performs on period instruments in an historically informed style. It collaborates regularly with leading baroque directors to give orchestral perfomances as well as working with choral groups.“

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Added on: Jun 17, 2010 | Hits: 304

“The American Bach Soloists touch musical audiences through live performances, recordings, and educational programs that emphasize the engaging repertoire and historically accurate performance practices of the Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic periods with a special focus on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Named "the best American specialists in early music" by The Washington Post, the American Bach Soloists ("ABS") were founded in 1989 with the mission of introducing contemporary audiences to the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach through historically informed performances. Under the leadership of Co-founder and Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, the ensemble has achieved its vision of assembling the world's finest vocalists and period-instrument performers to bring this brilliant music to life.

Critical acclaim has been extensive. The San Francisco Chronicle recently extolled the ensemble's "Divinely inspired singing," and has called ABS' performances "a model of what the early music movement can offer at its best: a thoughtful, passionate rendition of great music, attuned to both the stylistic characteristics of the past and to the artistic requirements of our own time." The Wall Street Journal named ABS "a flawless ensemble…a level of musical finesse one rarely encounters," and San Francisco Classical Voice declared: "There is nothing routine or settled about their work. Jeffrey Thomas is still pushing the musical Baroque envelope." 

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Added on: May 03, 2010 | Hits: 276

“Created in 1986 by the recorder player Jean-Marc Andrieu, the orchestra Les Passions is in residence in Montauban. This flexible ensemble specialises in the practice of period instruments. Its artistic approach reconciles two principles: a respect for the musical technique of the period (authentic performance) and a dynamic interpretation of the musical composition. Its vocation is to convince the public that ancient music is as relevant to the present as are the writings of Molière, the paintings of La Tour or the architecture of Mansart. Its repertoire extends from the beginning of the 17th century (Monteverdi's Vêpres à la Vierge) to the end of the 18th century (Mozart's Requiem) encompassing a large number of the masters of the Baroque era (Bach, Handel, Telemann, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Purcell, Charpentier...). The orchestra is also dedicated to rediscovering the legacy of French music by producing the opera Stratonice by Méhul, Daphnis et Alcimadure by Mondonville and works by Toulouse composers Dupuy, Levens and Jean Gilles. The orchestra also contributes to the restitution of the musical library of the Dukes of Aiguillon. ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 285

“Ensemble Baroque de Nice is composed of a core of twelve musicians who perform on period instruments. The Ensemble has quickly become one of the main performing early music ensembles specializing in French baroque music. ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 577

“Created in 1992 by Franck-Emmanuel Comte, "Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu" is a flexible vocal and instrumental Ensemble, which follows three artistic lines:
- it devotes a large part of its programs to the rediscovery and the promotion of regional musical heritage from the XVIIth and XVIIth centuries in showing the link between France and Italy thanks to a strong Italian heritage in Lyons. (Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu is the only one group in the region that plays principally this repertoire.)
- creation of interdisciplinary musical programs that points up a link between learned music and traditional music.
- original and creative presentation of masterpieces of the sacred and profane repertoire. ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 313

“Founded in 1997, the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra is a new-generation line-up offering its audiences a chance to enjoy early music in a fresh, distinctive presentation. The use of period instruments is part of the orchestra's striving to discover new perspectives on the performance of old masterworks in a communicative way.

Aapo Häkkinen started out as Artistic Director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra in 2003. His authoritative knowledge and personal vision have clearly profiled the orchestra, and it has become one of the most interesting ensembles in Finnish musical life today. In 2009 Riccardo Minasi took the position of Associate Director...“

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Added on: Jul 25, 2009 | Hits: 421

“After comprehensive training as a harpsichordist, organist, pianist, singer, composer, choirmaster and conductor, Hervé Niquet made his debut as choirmaster at the Opéra National de Paris (1980).

In 1987, he founded Le Concert Spirituel, with which he has since explored exceptional repertoires of the baroque period, with emphasis on the French tradition and its emblematic sacred works (masses and motets by Charpentier, Lully, Gilles, Campra, Rameau, Colasse, Desmarest and Boismortier), while endeavouring to revive masterpieces of French lyrical theatre (Pigmalion by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse and Daphnis & Chloé by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Le Triomphe d’Iris by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault, Médée by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Callirhoé by André Cardinal Destouches, Sémélé by Marin Marais, Proserpine by Jean-Baptiste Lully, and, soon, Andromaque by André Ernest Modeste Grétry). Passion does not necessarily imply exclusion: Handel, Lorenzani, Purcell, Bach, Haydn, Gossec, Rigel, Philidor and Mozart also frequently feature on Le Concert Spirituel’s programmes. ..“

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Added on: May 18, 2009 | Hits: 309

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Added on: May 17, 2009 | Hits: 454

“Founded by Fabio Bonizzoni in 1995 as a vocal and instrumental group, La Risonanza has become a chamber orchestra devoted to 17th and 18th Century music. It frequently collaborates with guest choirs for programmes such as Handel's Messiah or Monteverdi's Vespers and invites regularly leading Italian singers like Roberta Invernizzi, Romina Basso, Raffaella Milanesi, Nuria Rial and Sergio Foresti.

Its intense concert activity brings the group all over Europe in the most important series: Santa Cecilia and Società del Quartetto in Italy, Festival of Utrecht, Quincena de San Sebastian, Festival de Cuenca, Festival de Santander, Teatro Real de Madrid, Bruges Festival and Concertgebouw,  Bozar Center in Brussels, Arsenal in Metz, Salle Gaveu in Paris...“

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Added on: May 17, 2009 | Hits: 457

“The New Munich court orchestra was established in 1992 by specialists in the field of historical performance practice. It is unique In the Bavarian landscape. First and foremost, the orchestra is dedicated to the research, documentation and re-performance of the widely-forgotten musical treasures of the Bavarian residences, castles and monasteries, and aims at creating the music in its original environment: the historical rooms throughout Bavaria. ..“ (Google translate)

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Added on: May 17, 2009 | Hits: 449

“Harmonia Sacra was founded in September 2002 and is comprises of the young singers and musicians of the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais under the musical direction of Yannick LEMAIRE. ..“ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 22, 2009 | Hits: 806

"After an enthusiastically received inaugural season, The Grand Tour Orchestra continues its exploration of the Musical Enlightenment (ca. 1750-1800). The variety of music in this period is astonishing and abounds with both well-known and neglected masterpieces. Using the instruments and performance practices befitting the era, the ensemble brings the full range of late-18th century musical art into a more clear and exciting focus.

The musicians of the Grand Tour Orchestra come from both the period-instrument and modern instrument scenes and fill the ranks of such renowned ensembles as The Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, The New York Collegium, the Four Nations Ensemble and the Mark Morris Dance Group Ensemble. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 395

"EARLY MUSIC NEW YORK - FREDERICK RENZ, DIRECTOR (EMNY) reaps international acclaim for vibrant and provocative performances of historically informed repertoire from the Middle Ages through the Classical eras. In New York City, EMNY can be heard/seen in an annual subscription series "In-Residence" at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. James Church (presented by the Early Music Foundation). In addition, EMNY is frequently invited to perform for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Hayden Planetarium, Columbia University, the Bronx Botanical Gardens, the Century Club, as well as other select New York City venues. ... "

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Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 432

"The Clarion Music Society is a period-instrument orchestra committed to performing lost or neglected works from the 18th and 19th centuries in addition to well-known masterworks from these periods that are rarely heard on authentic instruments.

What Sets Clarion Apart from Other Orchestras?

The Clarion Music Society is unique among American orchestras in three fundamental areas:

Rediscovery and Performance of Lost Masterworks – Clarion performs 18th and 19th-century works that have been lost or that are rarely heard by American audiences, works rediscovered through the most intensive and discerning musicological research.

Breadth of Repertoire – Unlike most other American period-instrument orchestras, Clarion includes in its repertoire music from not only the Baroque, but also the Classical and Romantic periods. Clarion performs these works on period instruments and following the performance practice of the time.

International Artists – Clarion frequently features international soloists of the highest caliber, particularly young artists who have not yet had the chance to perform in New York. " Visit website for more details. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 624

"The ACO membership is comprised of people interested in rediscovering the music of the Classical period in its original glory: performed with stylistic integrity on original instruments, in intimate settings, and accompanied by explanations which help participants visualize a time and place when the music was first performed. The settings are carefully chosen for their acoustic qualities and their appropriateness for the music. Venues have included intimate halls, museums and private residences where supporters gather to enjoy the music, experience the surroundings, and get to know one another over light refreshments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 312

"Il Cantiere delle Muse, founded in 1990 at the initiative of its director, Roberto Caravella, is among the most esteemed and refined music ensemble in recent years. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 02, 2008 | Hits: 752

"Chamber Orchestra of Moscow State University was born in 1967. It was created by Edward Gindin a talented musician with a strong personality who played viola in the orchestra of Stanislavsky Opera Theatre but also had played before for a while in a famous Chamber Orchestra directed by Lev Markiz. Creation of the orchestra was enthusiastically supported by professor Shilov and academician Petrovskiy, the Rector of the Moscow State University at that time. It was originally formed as a chamber orchestra at the School of Mathematics and Mechanics but soon (since September 1967) transformed into a Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow State University. Initially, the style of the orchestra followed the "good manners" dictated by the legendary Moscow Chamber Orchestra founded in 1961 by Rudolf Barshai. In 1976, Edward Gindin emigrated to US as a refugee and the orchestra got for a while a shadow of a "politically incorrect collective". Since then, the orchestra was directed by Alexander Riz, a docent from Gnesin Institute (1975-1978 and 1987-1989; subsequently, emigrated to US), and other musicians Oleg Reshetkin (1979), Alexander Moldavskiy (1979-1987; eventually, emigrated to Israel) and Georgiy Kheresko (1985-1986; diseased 1999) and Dmitry Goldobin (1990/1991). The Chamber Orchestra of Moscow State University won the first prizes in the 1-st and 2-nd All-Union festivals of non-professional arts. It is also a laureat of two Festivals of Amateur Chamber Orchestras in Erevan. The current music director Alexander Konstantinov is not a professional musician, but an actively working biochemist, who has played violin in the orchestra since 1968, and has been its konzertmeister since ca. 1970.

In 1989, following steady and determined devotion of one of the orchestra members Andrey Sharapov (viola) who introduced to us first tape copies of authentic style performers and was persistent enough to use gut strings, give up a shoulder rest and a chin rest and to buy a baroque bow, the orchestra became interested in the so-called authentic style of baroque music performance. Having started virtually on the scratch, guided by accidental copies of recordings by Hogwood, Pinnock, Gardiner, Hornancourt and Leonhardt and progressing by tries and errors, the orchestra gradually picked up its own feeling of the style. A great impetus in this direction was given by Vladimir Drozdov (double bass) and Dmitry Goldobin (harpsichord) who joined the Orchestra in 1990 and before entering the orchestra, played for a while in one of the first authentic style ensembles organized in Moscow by Ivan Monigetti. Dmitry Goldobin spent a year as a music director of the orchestra in 1990/1991 academic year and the first early music program made with him (Locke, H.Lawes, Muffat, Kindermann, Halborne) provided a basis for further progress of the orchestra in this direction. Tuning down to a’=415 Hz made the evolution irreversible. Since 1990 the orchestra plays without conductor. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 24, 2008 | Hits: 385

"The orchestra La Stagione Frankfurt has for many years been counted among the most successful ensembles in the field of authentic music performance.

The versatility of the ensemble's director Michael Schneider on the one hand and the artistic flexibility of each of the musicians on the other, enable a convincing and authentic performance of a wide spectrum of works from the areas of baroque opera and oratorios through classical symphonic works to the performance of important pieces of the 20th century.

It is the discovery and performance of lesser known musical gems by composers such as F.I. Beck, A. Stradella, A. Scarlatti, I. Holzbauer and the sons of Bach coupled with the stimulating and authentic interpretation of the standard repertoire which characterises the artistic intention of La Stagione.

Performing regularly with well-known vocal and instrumental soloists, the invitations to important European festivals and concert venues as well as the numerous highly regarded recordings attest to the high reputation of La Stagione Frankfurt. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 17, 2008 | Hits: 442

"With local roots and a passionate interest for the city's own musical history, and yet with its ears, eyes, and hears open to the rest of the world, the members of Elbipolis stand prepared to partake upon musical adventures. The young ensemble, the core of which is made up of musicians from Bremen, Hamburg, and Berlin, has achieved a great deal in a short period of time. Invitations to the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Leipzig Bach Festival, the Music Festival at Potsdam Sanssouci, the Rheingau Music Festival, as well as an exclusive appearance at the Yellow Lounge in Berlin (a club operated by Universal Music,) are just some of the milestones of the orchestra's history. In 2005 the ensemble received an invitation by DeutschlandRadio to give a performance together with the star recorder player Maurice Steger at the Cloister Neuzelle in Brandenburg. In 2007 NDR (North German Radio) in Hamburg dedicated an entire wekend for the ensemble to explore the theme of Orpheus in music, and in November of 2007 the orchestra gave its successful debut at the Kölner Philharmonie. The North German musicians have made themselves noticed again and again through their refreshing combination of high caliber technique and unconventional appearances.

The ensemble's debut CD 'Don Quichotte in Hamburg', recorded on the Raumklang label in 2005 and featuring music of Telemann, Mattheson, and Conti, ws met with great public enthusiasm. The next recording is planned for the beginning of 2008.

The driving philosophy and motto behind the ensemble has been borrowed from Georg Philipp Telemann, who once wrote: 'Will and industry can break even the deepest paths, and a keen sense of daring will always win over what appears impossible. Do mountains immdediately appear before you? Take them on with zeal, and regard difficulties as dwarves against the giant within yourself.' " Visite website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 16, 2008 | Hits: 623

" The Seville Baroque Orchestra (OBS) was founded by Barry Sargent and Ventura Rico in 1995, with the desire to create an ensemble able to perform XVII and XVIII century repertoire vivaciously and with a clear sense of communication. OBS has since then become a major reference on the Spanish music scene.

From its first performances onwards, OBS has always enjoyed the support of the audience and the specialised press. The quality of its performances, as well as the high interest of the programmed works, have always received unanimous critical acclaim.

Amongst the nearly 50 programmes that OBS has offered at the most important venues in recent years, feature works such as Mozart’s Requiem or the Coronation Mass, Haendel’s Messiah, symphonic programmes dedicated to Haydn and C.P.E. Bach… as well as unedited works of great interest, such as the Oratorium “Colpa, Pentimento e Grazia” by A. Scarlatti and many other works by XVIII century Spanish composers (Baguer, Buono Chiodi, Moyá, Moreno, Garay…).

Highlights in the operistic field include OBS’ production of Haydn’s Lo Speziale and Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea in the Maestranza Theatre (Seville) or Purcell’s Dido and Eneas in the Teatre Principal (Palma de Mallorca). ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 15, 2008 | Hits: 568

El Concierto Español, directed by Emilio Moreno, specializing in repertoire from the Spanish baroque and pre-classical periods. See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 12, 2008 | Hits: 528