Il Giardino Armonico

Il Giardino Armonico, founded in 1985 and conducted by Giovanni Antonini, has long established itself as one of the world’s leading period instrument ensembles, bringing together musicians from some of the most important music institutions in Europe. The repertoire of the ensemble focuses mainly on works of the 17th and 18th centuries. Depending on the requirements of the program, the ensemble consists of three to 30 instrumentalists.

Il Giardino Armonico is regularly invited to festivals all over the world, performing in the most important concert halls, and received the highest acclaim for both their concerts and their staged opera productions, like Monteverdi’s Orfeo, Händel’s Agrippina, Il Trionfo del Tempo del Disinganno and La Resurrezione, Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa, as well as Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto at the Salzburger Festspiele and Pfingstfestival in 2012.

Il Giardino Armonico is regularly invited to festivals all over the world, performing in the most important concert halls, and received the highest acclaim for both their concerts and their staged opera productions, like Monteverdi’s Orfeo, Händel’s Agrippina, Il Trionfo del Tempo del Disinganno and La Resurrezione, Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa, as well as Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto at the Salzburger Festspiele and Pfingstfestival in 2012.

The most recent projects include the recording of Haydn’s The Creation in collaboration with the Bavarian Radio Chorus, published by Alpha Classic in October 2020.

VIDEO

PRESS

„That was an unforgettable evening.“

Opera, 23 March 2023

„The clarity of the orchestration is made transparent and gleaming by the soloists of Il Giardino Armonico, who also make the most of every joke or surprise.“

The Guardian, 19 June 2021

„De la très belle ouvrage.“

Diapason d’Or, April 2021

PROJECTS 2025/26 – A SELECTION

Dates upon request
ARIADNE
Fatma Said, soprano / Giovanni Antonini, conductor

J. Haydn: Ariadne auf Naxos Hob. XXVb:2 a.o.

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION


10. + 11. May 2019, Herkulessaal der Residenz, München
13. May 2019, Mozartfest Augsburg
14. May 2019, Konzerthaus Wien
23. June 2019, Soli Deo Gloria – Braunschweig Festival
28. June 2019, Rheingau Musik Festival
Giovanni Antonini, conductor / Anna Lucia Richter, soprano / Maximilian Schmitt, tenor / Florian Boesch, bass baritone / Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks

J. Haydn: The Creation Hob. XXI:2

14. November 2018, Konzerthaus Berlin
Il Giardino Armonico Giovanni Antonini, conductor / Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin

Works by A. Vivaldi, L. Francesconi, S. Movio, A. Cattaneo

© Patricia Kopatchinskaja

26. + 7. August 2018
„Serpent & fire“
Giovanni Antonini, conductor / Anna Prohaska, soprano

Freiburger Barockorchester

The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra looks back on a success story lasting almost thirty years and is a popular guest at the most important concert halls and opera houses. A glance at the ensemble’s concert calendar shows a diverse repertoire played at a variety of venues, ranging from the Baroque to the musical present and from Freiburg to the Far East. The Freiburgers’ artistic credo, however, remains unchanged: the creative curiosity of each of them, with the intention of playing a composition in as lively and as expressive a manner as possible.

Under the artistic directorship of Gottfried von der Goltz and Kristian Bezuidenhout, and under the baton of selected conductors, the FBO presents it-self with about one hundred performances per year in a variety of formations from chamber to opera orchestra: a self-administrated ensemble with its own subscription concerts at Freiburg’s Concert Hall, Stuttgart’s Liederhalle, and Berlin’s Philharmonie and with tours all over the world.

Andreas Richter Cultural Consulting represents the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra in Asia, Great Britain, Germany and neighboring countries on request.

VIDEO

PRESS

„The audience rewarded the musicians for their great performance at the end of the performance with a hearty round of applause.“

Seoul Times, 4 April 2024

„What a wonderful gift for these challenging times!“

Limelight, 13 March 2020

„I doubt that Beethoven, at least recently, has sounded quite so original or so much fun.“

Gramophone, January 2020

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2025/26

23 – 25 September 2025
FATHER & SON
with Kristian Bezuidenhout, piano and musical leader // Julian and Christoph Pregardién, tenors

Father-son relationships are complex, often ambivalent, but a source of inspiration for the arts, as the programme of fab’ Freiburg Baroque Orchestra impressively demonstrates: Although Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart succeeded during his lifetime in helping to shape the musical life of his adopted home of Lviv, he was unable to follow in the musical footsteps of his legendary father. Another contemporary father-son duo is dedicated to this exciting combination: tenors Christoph and Julian Prégardien present arias, songs and recitatives by the two Mozarts that take up the theme.

Works by F. X. Mozart & W. A. Mozart

Christoph Prégardien © Jean Baptiste Millot
Julian Prégardien © Peter Rigaud
Kristian Bezuidenhout © Marco Borggreve

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION

13 December 2022, deSingel, Antwerpen
14 December 2022, Chiesa di San Pietro, Perugia
15 December 2022, Basilica di San Vittore, Varese
16 December 2022, Franziskaner Konzerthaus, Villingen
18 December 2022, Kölner Philharmonie
19 December 2022, Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie, Berlin
21 December 2022, Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Liederhalle, Stuttgart
22 December 2022, Konzerthaus Freiburg

MAGNIFICAT
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra / Vox Luminis / Lionel Meunier, bass & leader
J. S. Bach: Magnificat in E-flat major BWV 243A / J. Kuhnau: Uns ist ein Kind geboren BWV 142, Magnificat in C major

****

bachtrack, 19 December 2022

28 April 2022, Konzerthaus Freiburg
30 April 2022, Staatstheater Wiesbaden
03 May 2022, Kölner Philharmonie
04 May 2022, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

FREISCHÜTZ
Polina Pasztircsák, soprano – Agathe / Kateryna Kasper, soprano – Ännchen / Maximilian Schmitt, tenor – Max / Dimitry Ivashchenko, bass – Kaspar / Christian Immler, bass – Eremit / Max Urlacher, speaker – Samiel / Zürcher Sing-Akademie / Freiburger Barockorchester / René Jacobs, conductor
C. M. von Weber: Der Freischütz

 
 
 
 
 
 

“Great hit on the bull’s eye!

Hamburger Abendblatt, 06 May 2022

“Concertante always also means theatrical with René Jacobs.”

Badische Zeitung, 30 April 2022

10 March 2020, Melbourne Recital Center
Gottfried von der Goltz, leader & violin / Kris Bezuidenhout, piano
L. v. Beethoven: Piano Concert no. 1 in C major op. 15 / Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major op. 19 / Piano Concerto no. 3 in C minor op. 37

11 March 2020, Melbourne Recital Center
Gottfried von der Goltz, leader & violin / Kris Bezuidenhout, piano
L. v. Beethoven: Ouverture Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus op.43 / Piano Concerto no. 4 in G major op. 58 / Ouverture Coriolan op. 62, Piano Concerto no. 5 in E flat major op. 73

© Melbourne Recital Center

27 November 2018, Elbphilharmonie
HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE
Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor / Aletta Collins, Director, Choreography / Ólafur Elíasson, Stage, Light Design, Costumes / Anna Prohaska, Aricie / Reinoud van Mechelen, Hippolyte / Magdalena Kozená, Phèdre / Gyula Orendt, Thésée / Elsa Dreisig, Diane / Staatsopernchor
J.-P. Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie

© Thies Rätzke Images


Finnish Baroque Orchestra

Founded in 1989, the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) has been a pioneer in many ways throughout its history. The orchestra is known in Finland and abroad for its skilful performances, its creative approach to concert programming and groundbreaking partnerships, such as the Nordic Baroque Scene. At the core FiBO is a Baroque orchestra, but they also venture into early Baroque and Romanticism as well as Sibelius’ works and new music for period instruments. In addition to its own FiBO Records series, FiBO has made recordings with several record labels. The latest record, Il labirinto armonico (BIS), featuring Locatelli’s violin concerts with soloist Ilya Gringolts, has received significant international recognition such as Gramophone Editor’s Choice (3/2021) and Diapason d’or (5/2021).  

VIDEO

PRESS

„From the opening track onwards, elegant playing launches a programme rich in charm from Ilya Gringolts and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, all on sparkling form.“

Gramophone Magazin, 19.02.2021

„Sharp-edged playing from the Finnish Baroque Orchestra.”

The Guardian, 27.01.2019

SELECTION OF PROJECTS (2025/26)

Dates upon request
THE WAVES OF THE BALTIC SEA
Jouhikko-Improvisations and nordic string music from the 17th century
with Ilkka Heinonen, jouhikko and violon // Marianna Henriksson, musical leader and Keyboard

with works by V. Albrici, T. Baltzar, D. Buxtehude, S. Capricornus, C. Farina, J. W. Furchheim, I. Heinonen, A. Jarzebski, H. H. Schmelzer, F. Tunder, P. Verdler

The programme consists of a dialogue between the string ensemble of the Finnish Baroque Orchestra and improvisations for the traditional Finnish bowed lyre, the jouhikko, written by Ilkka Heinonen. It includes music from the 17th century by composers who lived in countries around the Baltic Sea, as well as works written in this region, especially pieces from the Düben collection in Uppsala, including rarities with rich string sound by Samuel Capricornus, Franz Tunder and Vincenzo Albrici. The 17th century was also the time of glory of the jouhikko, whose history in the Baltic region goes back to the Middle Ages and is currently experiencing a renaissance based on recordings from the beginning of the 20th century.

Marianna Henriksson © Tanja Ahola

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION

19 August 2022, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
„Water Music“
G. F. Händel: Suite no. 2 in D major HWV 349 »Water Music«
G. F. Händel: Suite no. 1 in F major HWV 348 »Water Music«
G. F. Händel: Suite no. 3 in G major HWV 350 »Water Music«
G. F. Händel: Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351
As well as Finnish traditional works by Viljami Niittykoski

© Finnish Baroque Orchestra

19 August 2019, Brühler Schlosskonzerte
„From Russia with love“
Irma Niskanen, leader & violin / Petteri Pitko, cembalo

Works by G. Pasiello, D. Cimarosa, J. Haydn and B. Galuppi: Concerto a quattro

© Brühler Schlosskonzerte

21 July 2019, Herrenchiemsee Festspiele
Dancing Queen“
Kajsa Dahlbäck, soprano / Olga Heikkilä, soprano / Katariina Heikkilä, alto / Jukka Jokitalo, tenor / Juha-Pekka Mitjonen, basso

Works by A. Scarlatti, A. Corelli, G. Düben, J. H. Schmelzer, C. Gesualdo, V. Albrici, A. Cesti a.o.

Europa Galante

Europa Galante was founded in 1989 by its musical director Fabio Biondi, who wanted to form an Italian period instrument ensemble to play both, the baroque and classical repertoire. The ensemble has a varying structure and often performs chamber music, such as the string sonatas of Italian composers of the seventeenth century. des 17. Jahrhunderts.

The ensemble’s repertoire includes operas of Handel, such as Agrippina and Imeneo, as well as Vivaldi, including Bazajet, Ercole sul Termodonte, Oracolo in Messenia and many pre-eighteenth century instrumental works. The orchestra is widely known for its performances of the works of Alessandro Scarlatti, such as the oratorios (Maddalena, La Santissima Trinità), serenatas (Clori, Dorino e Amore) and operas including Massimo Puppieno, Il Trionfo dell’Onore, La Principessa Fedele and Carlo Re d’Allemagna. Europa Galante regularly collaborates with the Fondazione Santa Cecilia in Rome to rediscover and restore eighteenth-century Italian operas, such as Antonio Caldara’s La Passione di Gesù Cristo, Leonardo Leo’s Sant’Elena al Calvario or Gesu sotto il peso della Croce by F. di Mayo. Last season in Rome, the ensemble presented La Foresta Incantata by Francesco Geminiani, together with an animated film by Fabio Biondi and the director Davide Livermore.

Europa Galante performed in many of the world’s major concert halls and theatres, including La Scala in Milan, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Royal Albert Hall in London, Musikverein in Vienna, Lincoln Center in New York and the Sydney Opera House. The ensemble also toured throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, Canada, Israel, the USA and South America.

VIDEO

PRESS

„… tutto aveva un senso, un’ intelligenza musicale. In tutto, questo Europa Galante si è confermata un’ orchestra che risponde come un corpo unico ma che rivelare tra le sue fila bravi solisti, quando serve. Teatro colmo pubblico un festa come a un concerto rock!”

Gazzetta di Parma, 22 October 2021

„Had Fabio Biondi made no other record, we would know from this one that he was a great violinist.“

The Strad, 2019

„Biondi was a wizard on his violin.“

The San Diego Union Tribune. 2018

PROJECTS 2025/26 – A SELECTION

29 November – 7 December 2025 and upon request
LAMENTO
with Ian Bostridge, tenor
Werke von D. Castello, C. Monteverdi, C. Farina, S. D’India, G. Frescobaldi, C. Monteverdi

In this programme, Europa Galante and Ian Bostridge present works that stand at the transition between the Renaissance and Baroque, including the dramatic madrigal Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. Instrumental works by Carlo Farina and Dario Castello will also be performed.

Ian Bostridge © Kalpesh Lathigra

Termine auf Anfrage
VIER JAHRESZEITEN
mit Fabio Biondi, künstlerische Leitung und Violine

F. Geminiani: Concerto Grosso „La Follia“
P. Locatelli: Concerto Grosso op. 1 Nr. 3
A. Corelli: Concerto Grosso op. 6 Nr. 4
A. Vivaldi: Die Vier Jahreszeiten

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION

16 February 2022 Elbphilharmonie Hamburg / 18 February 2022 Palau de la Música Barcelona / 20 Feburary 2022 Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid / 22 Feburary 2022 Theater an der Wien
C. Monteverdi: L’ Orfeo
Fabio Biondi, Conductor / Ian Bostridge (Orfeo) / Monica Piccinini (Euridice, La Musica) / Marina de Liso (Messagera, La Speranza) / RIAS Kammerchor / Europa Galante / a.o.

 
 
 
 

“One can only marvel at the richness of colour in the ensemble Europa Galante, not even two dozen strong, under the direction of its concertmaster Fabio Biondi.”

Hamburger Abendblatt, 17 February 2022

“El excelente conjunto instrumental.”

opera world, 15 February 2022

20 April 2019
C. Monteverdi: Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria
Fabio Biondi, conductor / Furio Zanasi, Ulisse / Sara Mingardo, Penelope / Ewa Leszczynska Ericlea / Matheus Pompeu, Giove / Coro Costanzo Porta / Walter Le Moli (stage director) a.o.

Ulisses © Patrick Klein

8 June 2018 / 21 July 2018 / 11 September 2018
EUROPEAN MIGRANTS

Works by M. Mascitti, A. Vivaldi, G.F. Händel, F. Geminianio, F. Barsanti, G. Paisiello, J. Stamitz, A. Soler, L. Boccherini and G. P. Telemann

© Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci

Compagnia di Punto

As part of the Ludwig van Beethoven Year 2020 – the 250th anniversary of the birth of the German-born Viennese master -, the Compagnia di Punto has made a recording of his first three symphonies. How is this special?

A remarkable aspect of this recording is that Beethoven’s symphonies, today considered as untouchable and virtually sacred monuments, are here performed by the Compagnia di Punto in arrangements realized by Beethoven’s contemporaries for a chamber ensemble made up of only ten instrumentalists. While this may be considered an affront to some purists, this recording will be welcomed by classical music fans with an open mind as an absolute rarity. On one hand, original arrangements of famous works reveal how loosely the “musical pantheon” could be treated during Beethoven’s time; on the other hand, they manage to cast a completely new light on musical works that are known inside out. With exceptional works such as Beethoven’s symphonies, this is an especially rewarding undertaking. Nominated for an OPUS Klassik 2020 in the category “Ensemble/Orchestra of the year”!

VIDEO

PRESS

„An outstanding ensemble gives us a new perspective on Beethoven’s symphonies.“

NDR Kultur, 21.02.2020

„The presence of mind and vitality of nine fantastically motivated players sweep the listener into the symphonic chamber music of yesteryear…“

Süddeutschen Zeitung, 02.02.2020

„Fazit: Auf jeden Fall spannend!“

onlineMerker, 07.02.2020

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2025/26

Availability on request
Distortions
with Ian Bostridge, tenor / Marina Galic, actress

Works by Robert Schumann after poetry by Heinrich Heine with fragments of scenes from Woyzeck by Georg Büchner for singer, actress and chamber ensemble.

Ian Bostridge and Marina Galic as the main characters are joined by the ensemble Compagnia di Punto, which performs on instruments from the early 19th century – the period in which both Schumann and Büchner were active. Through exaggeration and alienation, this unusual, dramatic recital repeatedly draws Schumann’s beautiful songs into the present and poses the question if we, as a society, deal with psychological instability appropriately.

Availability on request
En miniature

Compagnia die Punto plays Beethoven’s, Mozart’s and Haydn’s symphonies on period instruments in chamber music format, arranged by contemporaries Carl Friedrich Ebers and Ferdinand Ries. The symphonies can be combined at will or supplemented with other works by Beethoven for small ensembles.

L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21, edited by Karl Friedrich Ebers (1770-1836)
L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 38, edited by Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838)
L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, edited by Carl Friedrich Ebers
L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” in F major, Op. 68
W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
J. Haydn: Symphony No. 99 in E flat major, Hob. I:99
J. Haydn: Symphony No. 101 ” The clock” in D major, Hob. I:101
A. Rosetti: Sinfonie G major Murray A41
A. Rosetti: Sinfonie F major Murray A35
A. Rosetti: Sinfonie C major Murray A3

Additional works by Beethoven: Serenade for flute, violin and viola Op. 25, Sextett Op. 81b (2 horns and piano), Horn Sonata

Die Sammlung André - Compagnia di Punto

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: IV. Allegro molto (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Ferdinand Ries)

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B’Rock Orchestra

B’Rock Orchestra was set up in Ghent in 2005 on the basis of an urge for renewal and rejuvenation in the world of Early Music. The selected international musicians specialize in historically well-founded performance practices. They distinguish themselves by their open mind and flexibility of repertoire and playing style.

In the choices it makes for its concert programmes, B’Rock combines established works of baroque composition with the lesser-known repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, the orchestra pursues a bold and innovative programme policy, in which early and contemporary music meet and enrich each other. It focuses especially on giving first performances of new music written with its historic instruments in mind. Yet, the orchestra has a reputation for cross-genre productions, too. Finally, early music in combination with theatre, visual art and/or video are also a part of the orchestra’s DNA.

B’Rock Orchestra regularly engages prominent guest conductors and soloists such as René Jacobs, Jérémie Rhorer, Leonardo García Alarcón, Peter Dijkstra, Bejun Mehta, Alexander Melnikov, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Dmitry Sinkovsky, Sophie Karthäuser and many others. It frequently collaborates with leading choral ensembles such as RIAS Kammerchor, Collegium Vocale Ghent, the Nederlands Kamerkoor and Cappella Amsterdam ND has developed structural partnerships in the fields of opera and musical theatre with De Munt/La Monnaie and Muziektheater Transparant.

VIDEO

PRESS

„It is sensational how well the “Ur-Carmen” does when the orchestral sound is skilfully purified.”

Hamburger Abendblatt, 26 March 2024

„But, under Mr. Jacobs’s baton, B’Rock still sounded like a small chamber orchestra: nimble, clear, precise. And restrained, reserving its most powerful sound for dramatic effect, which added a sense of theater to a piece…”

New York Times, January 2019

„It’s a very special experience, from which the world can learn a great deal.“

Bachtrack, March 2017

SELECTION OF PROJECTS (2025/26)

15 October – 3 November 2025
VENUS
with Jeanine de Bique, soprano

The programme with soprano Jeanine de Bique is dedicated to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, planet of our solar system and astrological constellation, with French, Italian and English compositions from the period between around 1650 and 1750.

Various works from the 17th and 18th centuries

Jeanine de Bique © Tim Tronckoe
 
 

Dates upon request
DON’T LOOK BACK! – Re: Orpheus
with Benjamin Appl, baritone // Cecilia Bernardini, artistic leader & violin

The myth of Orfeo, Orpheus, Orphée – an inexhaustible source of inspiration for countless composers and for one of the most exciting singers of our time, Benjamin Appl. Together with the B’Rock Orchestra, he embarks on a journey that follows the musical traces of Orphée from the Renaissance to the present day.

With words by C. Monteverdi, W. Byrd, A. Draghi, C. H. Graun, G. P. Telemann, V. Williams, H. W. Henze und S. Gubaidulina a.o.

Benjamin Appl © David Ruano
Cecilia Bernardini © Foppe Schut

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION

12 March 2024, De Singel, Antwerpen / 14 March 2024, Philharmonie de Paris / 16 March 2024, Konzerthaus Dortmund / 17 March 2024, Kölner Philharmonie / 25 March 2024, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg / 27 March 2024, Teatro Real, Madrid
Christiane Gaëlle Arquez, Carmen / Sabine Devieilhe, Micaëla / François Rougier, Don José / Thomas Dolié, Escamillo / Chœur de Chambre de Namur / Kinderchor Opera Ballet Vlaanderen / B’ROCK Orchestra / René Jacobs, conductor
CAMEN!
G. Bizet: Carmen. Opera in four acts / Version 1874, édition Paul Prévost

“It is sensational how well the ‘Ur-Carmen’ does when the orchestral sound is skilfully purified”

Hamburger Abendblatt, 26 March 2024


25 + 26 February 2023
B’Rock Orchestra, René Jacobs, Christiane Karg
VENGA LA MORTE!
C. M. von Weber: Overture to the opera „Der Freischütz”
W. A. Mozart: Cocert arias K.272, K.369 & K.490
Franz Schubert: Symphony no. 9 in C major D 944 „The Great”

Christiane Karg © Gisela Schenker

“The orchestral sound is impressively transparent, you can hear every single voice, everything seems slender, supple, never fatted by vibrato.”

Die Rheinpfalz, 27 January 2023


11 + 19 March 2018
B’Rock Orchestra, René Jacobs, Robin Johanssen
F. Schubert: Symphony no. 1 in D major D 82
F. Schubert: Symphony no. 6 in C major D 589

Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century

The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century is one of the most prominent early music orchestras in the world. The musicians play internationally in leading (chamber) music ensembles and meet several times a year for performances of iconic and lesser-known repertoire. In the early 1980s, the orchestra achieved world fame by performing grand symphonic work on original instruments and in a historically informed manner. A revolution that never really stopped. 

But the uniqueness of the orchestra is not only in the sound or the way of playing. Ever since it was founded by Frans Brüggen more than forty years ago, musicians have never taken a score for granted. The approach is critical, curious, investigative and progressive. Core values from the Enlightenment that all orchestra members hold in high esteem. That is why every performance is a new challenge and the iconic repertoire remains alive and kicking.

VIDEO

PRESS

„Standing ovation at the end!“

Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, 8 April 2024

„The other starry performance of the evening came from the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century.“

Bachtrack, 16th October 2019

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2025/26

January 2026
Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
with Ian Bostridge, tenor // Anna Prohaska, soprano // 2 Dancers (tbc) // Claire Van Campen, stage direction

Claudio Monteverdi’s motto when creating his madrigal could have been to achieve the greatest possible effect with minimal means. With just three voices and a small string section, it already succeeded in arousing strong emotions in the audience at the first performance in 1624. The programme, directed by Claire van Campen, adds two female dancers to the chamber play-like stage work and also considers works by female composers of the following generation, the Venetian Barbara Strozzi and the Milanese abbess Chiara Margarita Cozzolani.

C. Monterverdi: Il combattimento di Tancredi et Clorinda

Anna Prohaska © Harald Hoffmann / Ian Bostridge © Kalpesh Lathigra

April – 10 May 2026 and on request
with Alena Baeva, violine

Works by Ludwig van Beethoven and/or Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Alena Baeva © Andrej Grilc

“…standing ovation at the end.”

Rhein Neckar Zeitung, 08 April 2024

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION

25 MAY 2022 Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
J. Haydn: The Seasons
Nicolas Altstaedt, Dirigent / Christina Landhamer (Hanne) / Ian Bostridge (Lukas) / Florian Boesch (Simon) Capella Amsterdam

 
 
 
 
 

Vox Luminis

Vox Luminis was established almost 20 years ago; today, the ensemble uses its sparkling traits to enhance the world of early music! The push was made in 2004 by Lionel Meunier – bass and founding base of Vox Luminis. The objective is to gain access to the Light through the Voice. Every year, the ensemble releases on average two discs and offers its audience more than 60 concerts on Belgian, European and international stages.

They define themselves as a group of soloists with a variable combination (with a base from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague) and of a continuo, additional instrumentalists or a full orchestra, depending on the repertoire. The repertoire is essentially Italian, English and German and spans the 16th through the 18th centuries. Since its creation, the ensemble has been noted for its cohesion and it charms with the personality of every timbre and the homogeneity of the voices.

The year 2018 was marked by two awards: first, Vox Luminis won the famous BBC Music Magazine AWARD 2018 in the category “Choral Award Winner” for their recording Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott, following the disc Luther et la Musique de la Réforme. Second, KLARA named them “Ensemble of the Year”.

Today, Lionel Meunier has established himself as the internationally well-known conductor and artistic director of the Vox Luminis ensemble, which he created in 2004.

The ensemble is supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the City of Namur and Namur Confluent Culture and the Art and Life Tours (a funding program for concerts in Wallonia).

VIDEO

PRESS

„Individual voices had the clarity and color to pick them out of the ensemble while the blend among them was finely balanced. The thoughtfulness and musicality were most impressive.“

New York Classical Review, 28 October 2024

„… and the result is another deeply musical triumph.“

The Guardian, 30 June 2019

“Director Lionel Meunier is the real star, with a soaring vision of Purcell’s music in a class of its own.”

BBC Music Magazine

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2025/26

25 March – 4 April 2026
Ein Deutsches BarockRequieum

Johannes Brahms had a passion for polyphony and was inspired by models from the great Lutheran tradition of the late Renaissance and the Baroque for his Deutsches Requiem. It is no surprise that some of the texts that Brahms chose had already been set by his illustrious predecessors; it simply remained to trace a path through these earlier scores, so many meditations on death, and to assemble a very different Deutsches Requiem: one animated by the emotions of the Lutheran Baroque.

The recording, released in 2023, was honoured with the German Record Critics’ Award (PDSK), among others.

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Oberon Trio

The Oberon Trio was founded in 2006. Shortly after the ensemble’s premier concert, the Flensburger Tageblatt already credited the Oberon Trio with “enormous interpretive abilities, which testify to the enchanting ripeness and stylistic command of this new ensemble.” Meanwhile, Oberon Trio has given performances at the Berliner Philharmonie, the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Konzerthaus Dortmund and Esterházy Palace, among others, as well as in Italy, Bulgaria, Israel, India, Egypt and the Ukraine.

Its three members are committed to offering performances of lesser-known compositions alongside with established masterpieces. Their repertoire extends from piano trios by CPE Bach and Joseph Haydn, the pioneers of the medium, to those by Jörg Widmann and Charlotte Bray, whose trios were recorded by the ensemble for the first time. Oberon Trio also collaborates regularly with chamber music partners such as Tabea Zimmermann, Ian Bostridge, Christoph Prégardien and Shirley Brill.

A special passion of the Oberon Trio is the establishment of greater intimacy between the performers and the public. Through moderated concerts and by publishing their own programme notes of performed works among other approaches, they provide listeners with an insight into their working process and the background of their interpretations.

On November 19, 2022, the Oberon Trio invited to the TRIOGIPFEL E.T.A.200. Together with the Amatis Trio, the Morgenstern Trio and the actress Stella Maria Adorf, the ensemble celebrated the poet, composer and caricaturist E.T.A. Hoffmann, whose death anniversary in 2022 was the 200th. The program included works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, two world premieres by Britta Byström and Frank Zabel – and, of course, music and texts by the jubilarian E.T.A. Hoffmann.

VIDEO

PRESS

„Zuhören einfach ein Genuß!“

Passauer Neue Presse, 16. Juli 2022

„Haydn und Schumann klingen frisch wie am ersten Tag, Hosokawas spirituelle Dimension ist geradezu eine Offenbarung, und Copland stringentes Doppelspiel mit Zwischentönen gelingt grandios.“

Crescendo, Februar 2020

„Kammermusik auf höchstem Niveau.“

Das Orchester, Mai, 2017

SELECTION OF PROJECTS 2024/25

Dates available upon request
LIEBST DU UM SCHÖNHEIT
with Ian Bostridge, tenor

Rückert songs by Franz Schubert, Gustav Mahler, Clara Schumann a.o.

Ian Bostridge © Kalpesh Lathigra

Dates available upon request
FOLK SONG BY HAYDN AND BEETHOVEN
with Christoph Prégardien or Ian Bostridge, tenor

With songs and trios by L. v. Beethoven and J. Haydn

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PAST CONCERTS – A SELECTION


19 November 2022, KühlhausBerlin
TRIOGIPFEL E.T.A.200 –
“Wo die Sprache aufhört, fängt die Musik an.”
A chamber music festival for Berlin on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death of E.T.A. Hoffmann

Contributors: Oberon Trio, Amatis Trio, Morgenstern Trio, Stella Maria Adorf

TRIOGIPFEL E.T.A.200 © Stefan Brühl

“The result is an impressive plea for the piano trio genre.”

nmz, 20 November 2022


27 June 2020, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele
Beethoven3
Oberon Trio / Christoph Pregardién, tenor