Conductor and harpsichordist, William Christie, is the founder of the group Les Arts Florissants and the most important promoter and interpreter of French Baroque music, as well as an eminent performer of the repertoire ranging from 16th- to 18th-century music. He was born in the United States; then, following his studies at Harvard and Yale he left America in 1971 to settle in Paris, where he entered the local Conservatory. As the leader of the group Les Arts Florissants, established in 1979, he has had a profound and personal impact on the reintroduction and exploration of the repertoire which, by then, had been forgotten or had sunk into obscurity, that is, first of all, of virtually all French Baroque music. Thus, he has become an emblematic figure of the resurgence of interest in such genres as tragedie lyrique and opéra-ballet, or the French motet. He has also proposed numerous outstanding creations and recordings of Italian and English works from the same period, from Gesualdo and Monteverdi’s madrigals to operas by Purcell and Handel. tickets podcast

The ensemble, whose name is derived from the title of a short opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, was founded in 1979 by the American-born French harpsichordist and conductor William Christie, with the intention to perform Baroque music on period instruments. The group pioneered in rekindling an interest in French Baroque repertoire. For almost forty years, it has participated in reintroducing countless musical treasures from the collections of the National Library of France, especially from the 17th-century French repertoire, or 17th-, and 18th-century European music – to audiences. Starting with the production of Lully’s ‘Atys’ for the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1987, the group has achieved its greatest triumphs in the field of opera. The ensemble has recorded nearly one hundred records for labels such as Harmonia Mundi, Warner Classics/Erato, and Virgin Classics. Their catalogue of DVD opera recordings is equally impressive. tickets podcast

Founder and the leader of the Concerto Italiano ensemble, likewise harpsichordist, organist and pianist ready to play historical instruments. According to ‘The Times’, Alessandrini is the man who made Italian music sound Italian again, because by focusing mainly on the Italian Mannerist and Baroque repertoire, Alessandrini tries to fill his interpretations with the melodiousness and expressions characteristic of 17th- and 18th-century style. Apart from running Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini performs intensively as a soloist, appearing at festivals around the world, starting from Japan, through Europe and across the United States. He is often engaged as a visiting conductor, and also performs in numerous opera projects. His recordings received many awards and distinctions from international music critics, including ‘Grand Prix du Disque’ and ‘Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik’ award. tickets podcast

Founded in 1984 Concerto Italiano starting with the madrigal repertoire, particularly Monteverdi and Marenzio, and moving to the 18th-century orchestral works and operas, Concerto Italiano revolutionised the criteria of early music performance. The ensemble makes regular appearances in major musical centres, boasting numerous tokens of recognition from the musical critics, including five ‘Gramophone Awards’, two ‘Grand Prix du Disque’, three ‘Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik’ awards and others. Over the course of nearly four decades of activity, the band has released over forty albums and carried out fascinating music projects, such as a trilogy of Monteverdi operas in La Scala, European tour with A. Scarlatti’s z ‘Cain overo il primo omicidi’ and interpretation of a programme of Roman polyphonies from the late 17th century (together with RIAS Kammerchor). In collaboration with the National University Library in Turin, the Concerto Italiano has recorded most of Vivaldi's operas and concertos known to date, some of which had not been performed for over 300 years. tickets podcast

A French harpsichordist and co-leader – with Pablo Valetti – of the Café Zimmermann ensemble, Frisch studied the harpsichord at the Conservatoire d’Aix-en-Provence and then at the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. She is the winner of numerous prizes and awards and was awarded the title of ‘Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres’ in 2009. From among the vast repertoire of early music, it was her interpretations of Bach’s works that attracted the greatest interest of the international music press. Frisch also enjoys performing French music from the times of King Louis XIV, works of the English virginalists, or 17th-century German music. By no means does she shy away from the 20th-century and present-day compositions. A special place in her discography is occupied by two albums dedicated to J.S. Bach’s ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’; namely its ‘Book I’ (2016) and ‘Book II’ (2019), both awarded the ‘Diapason d’Or’ and ‘Choc de Classica.’ tickets podcast

A violinist born in Argentina, Valetti studied violin in Buenos Aires, and then continued his studies in early music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. As a soloist or concertmaster, he has appeared on stage with bands such as Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert des Nations, Concerto Köln, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Hespèrion XXI, Concerto Vocale, or Les Talens Lyriques. He also collaborates on a regular basis with Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla. Since 1999, with Céline Frisch, he has been leading the Café Zimmermann early music ensemble. Valetti also engages in educational activity, teaching at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona and at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Nice. He plays a violin made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1758. tickets podcast

This leading French early music ensemble specialising in the performance of baroque music was brought into being in 1999. Led by the violinist Pablo Valetti and harpsichordist Céline Frisch, it rallies soloists eager to revive the musical competition that used to be held in Gottfried Zimmermann’s café in 18th-century Leipzig. Held in high esteem both in France and abroad, the ensemble has already been performing in prestigious concert halls and at international festivals for many years. Not only are their concerts or musical collaborations highly appreciated, with the greatest names from the world of early music such as Gustav Leonhardt,Dominique Visse, Roberta Invernizzi, or Sophie Karthäuser, but also their phonographic achievements, above all their albums with their interpretations of J.S. Bach’s concerto output. Since 2011, the ensemble has been resident at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence. tickets podcast

Organist and harpsichordist, Daucé is also the founder and leader of the Ensemble Correspondances which he conducts while playing his instrument. With his group, established in 2008, following the completion of his studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon, Daucé explores the French repertoire from the period of the ‘Grand Siècle’ (17th century), performing nationally and throughout Europe, as well as in Asia and both Americas, and recording albums for the label Harmonia Mundi. At the same time, he is engaged in music instruction (he has been teaching at Le Pôle supérieur de Paris since 2012). Alongside his activities as a performing musician, Sébastien Daucé works with the leading scholars of 17th-century music, publishing regular articles and taking part in important performance-practice projects. He can also boast the title of ‘Associate Artist’ of the Royaumont Foundation. tickets podcast

A group of vocalists and instrumentalists led by harpsichordist and organist Sébastien Daucé which derives its name from Charles Baudelaire’s poetry and combines music with other fine arts as well. The ensemble both performs the works of composers enjoying a well-deserved reputation – Charpentier, for instance – and brings back to life various compositions which –in spite of having been appreciated and frequently performed in the past – have fallen into obscurity and are little known today, such as the works of Antoine Boësset or Etienne Moulinié, emphasising that they still sound quite novel nowadays. The group also recorded several albums – each of which was enthusiastically received by critics – and some of these records won the most prestigious prizes and awards of the phonographic industry. The ensemble performs at the most important festivals in France and other European countries as well as in Japan and is regularly present in the programmes of leading European radio broadcasting corporations. tickets podcast

The group was founded in 2008, when several singers with considerable experience in the repertoire of madrigals resolved to launch such a project on their own account, that is, without a conductor. Their self-dependent debut album – anthology of madrigals with lyrics derived from Ariosto’s ‘Orlando Furioso’, edited by the label Arcana – came out in 2011. Two years later the ensemble initiated a collaboration with the Glossa recording company, issuing madrigals and responsories by Gesualdo, Marenzio, Monteverdi, and many others, their successive albums winning a number of the most important international awards of the phonographic industry. The group regularly performs at the most prestigious festivals including MITO SettembreMusica, Unione Musicale in Turin, Schwetzingen Festival, RheinVokal, as well as in the most famous concert halls such as the Cologne Philharmonic, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Sala Accademica of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, and Wigmore Hall in London. tickets podcast

Belgian soprano particularly appreciated for her interpretations of Mozart’s works. She made her debut with the part of Pamina in his ‘The Magic Flute’ under the leadership of René Jacobs at the La Monnaie in Brussels and international reviewers have followed her artistic activities with special attention ever since. She has already performed with such eminent conductors as William Christie, Jérémie Rhorer, Christophe Rousset, John Eliot Gardiner, and Emmanuelle Haïm. She is also a highly successful recitalist who regularly wins prizes and awards in that field. As a soloist, she performs with renowned ensembles and orchestras. She is also familiar with the repertoire of early music, including Telemann’s cantatas. In addition, it should be emphasised that the album comprising ‘Leçons de ténèbres’ by Delalande (issued by Harmonia Mundi in 2015), and recorded by Karthäuser with the Ensemble Correspondances and Sébastien Daucé, was awarded the prestigious ‘Diapason d’Or’. tickets podcast

A graduate of Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg and Conservatoire de musique in Geneva, Magdalena Karolak developed her historical performance skills at, inter alia, Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. She specialises in early music and historically informed performance and regularly plays with ensembles such as ll Giardino Armonico, Il Pomo d'Oro, Accademia Bizantina, Capella Cracoviensis, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, I Barocchisti, Arte dei Suonatori, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and La Capella Reial de Catalunya. As a soloist, she has performed alongside such distinguished artists as Philippe Jaroussky, Franco Fagioli, Joyce Didonato and Sandrine Piau and under numerous conductors like Jerzy Semkow, Marc Minkowski, Nello Santi, Adam Fischer and Jordi Savall. The artist has recorded albums for such labels as: Decca, Naïve, Sony, Harmonia Mundi, Ricercar and Virgin Classics/EMI, as well as radio and television recordings for NDR and Mezzo. Since 2017, Magdalena Karolak has been teaching baroque oboe classes at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wroclaw. tickets podcast

Multiinstrumentalist, singer, composer, and educator, Pomianowska is among leading Polish performers of folk and ethnic music (world music). Since the beginning of her activities in the field of music and musical research, she has focussed on unique performance practices of various European, Asian, and Middle-Eastern cultures. As a soloist, she has been concerting all over the world. Pomianowska collaborates with musicians from the Arab world, from Pakistan, Senegal, Iran, Korea, China, Japan, and India. She was the ambassadress of Polish classical and folk music in Japan during her stay in that country in 1997–2002. She took part in the reconstruction of extinct Polish string instruments: the Biłgoraj Suka and Płock fiddle, as well as of the Mielec Suka. She initiated the formation of such ensembles as Zespół Polski, San-Nin Trio, and Arcus Poloniae; besides, she established the Raga Sangit, the first Polish group performing Indian music. Maria Pomianowska is also a Ph.D. of Musical Arts and professor of the Academy of Music in Kraków. tickets

Ewa started her harpsichord classes at the age of twelve having become fascinated with the records of Wanda Landowska. She is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Krakow and of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana of Siena and also studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. In her career, Ewa Mrowca has focussed on performing on historic instruments, specialising in the continuo according to the original performance practice. She has found the music for the harpsichord of the French baroque her undying inspiration. Ewa Mrowca performs solo or in early-music ensembles and has been admired on concert stages in Poland, France, Germany, the USA and China. Among her collaborators are the ensembles of Jordi Savall, Simon Standage, Katherine McGillivray, Lilianna Stawarz, Olivia Centurioni, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, Peter van Heyghen and Joshua Rifkin. She has also established, together with Jakub Kościukiewicz, her own Altberg Ensemble, a group performing the baroque which is based in Łódź. She teaches at the Academy of Music in Łódź and at the Academy of Music in Krakow. tickets podcast

Organist and carillonist, she graduated from the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, where she had studied at the Faulty of Instrumental Music and Faculty of Choral Conducting. She also received her master’s degree in the class of Frans Haagen at the Nederlandse Beiaardschool at Amersfoort. Fiebig is the winner of numerous prizes in carillon competitions in Holland, Belgium, and Germany. She has given concerts in many European countries, as well as in Curaçao and the United States. In 1999 she assumed the post of municipal carillonist in Gdańsk, and in 2011 she became the first foreign – and female – carillonist in Utrecht. Her repertoire comprises carillon adaptations of not only early, but also contemporary, and even pop, music. Since 2012 she has co-organised the Early Music Carillon Festival that is held within the framework of Festival Oude Muziek in Utrecht. tickets podcast

A player of double bass and the viola da Gamba. Graduate of the Academy of Music of Katowice, Poland, and of Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. A laureate of the ‘Młoda Polska’ scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and of Polish and international bass competitions. He is active on both the Polish and the international concert scene as a soloist and as a member of chamber groups and orchestras. Involved with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and a member of numerous chamber and early music ensembles, including: {oh!} Orkiestra, Extempore, Gambasada, Ensemble Reversio and Ensemble Chimérique, of which he is the founder. His past involvements included Kwartet Śląski, Capella Cracoviensis and the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy. Krzysztof Firlus teaches a viola da Gamba class at the Academy of Music in Katowice and a bass class at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland. tickets podcast

One of the most recognisable polish harpsichordists, Świątkiewicz plays various types of harpsichords and clavichords, as well as period pianos and organs. He is particularly passionate about improvisation. As a soloist, conductor, and chamber musician he collaborates regularly with the forefront of Polish and international orchestras and ensembles, including Brecon Baroque, Capella Cracoviensis, Arte dei Suonatori, {oh!} Orkiestra, and AUKSO. In 2015, he recorded a solo album with Müthel’s late-Baroque harpsichord concertos, which was awarded the ‘Diapason d’Or’. Two years later he issued another solo recording entitled ‘Cromatica’, which won a series of awards. For the ‘Rosary Sonatas’ by Biber, recorded with Rachel Podger, David Miller, and Jonathan Manson, Świątkiewicz received the ‘Gramophone Award’. In 2016 he was also awarded the prestigious ‘Polityka’ weekly’s Passport Award. The latest achievements of the harpsichordist include the album with harpsichord concertos by J.S. Bach (2018) and the album with the ‘Goldberg Variations’ (2020). The artist is also a lecturer at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He pays particular attention to the teaching of solo playing and to courses of partimento-based improvisation. tickets podcast