The founder and artistic director of the Gabrieli Consort & Players ensemble and a leading champion of authentic performance, famous for his passion for, and commitment to, historically informed performance, he sets new standards for that kind of artistic production (‘BBC Music Magazine’). In the field of early music he is considered one of the most eminent artists of his generation. Although he sometimes provokes controversies, McCreesh always inspires respect and appreciation for his work. Over his several decades of creative activity he has led performances of the most outstanding opera, choral, and symphonic works, while recordings of early music with his participation have inspired other enthusiasts of period performance. He has conducted orchestras and choirs from all over the world, including Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, he launched his own record label called Winged Lion. tickets listen

Over the years, this English ensemble founded in 1982 has travelled the road that led them to be called one of the most distinguished groups in the field of period performance. Under the leadership of Paul McCreesh, they won the appreciation of critics and audiences thanks to their excellent performances of Renaissance and Baroque music. The group’s repertoire comprises the most outstanding vocal-instrumental works, as well as a cappella pieces. Ever since they recorded Handel’s works, the members of the ensemble have been considered masters in interpreting the famous composer’s oeuvre. Performances by the Gabrieli Consort & Players are characterised not only by perfect playing on period instruments, but also by a particular authenticity of execution, as their artistic director has declared. In the course of their fifteen-years’ collaboration with the Deutsche Grammophon label, the group has produced excellent records of both early, and more modern, music. The ensemble has also won a number of prestigious prizes and awards such as the Gramophone Classical Music Award, BBC Music Magazine Awards, or Diapason d’Or, and a nomination for the Grammy Award. tickets listen

Harpsichordist and organist, as well as conductor and director of the ‘Accademia Bizantina’ ensemble, with whom he has recorded a series of memorable albums of both instrumental, and opera, music. Following his brilliant successes scored in various competitions in the mid-1980’s, he immediately drew the attention of critics and audiences. In 1989 he began his collaboration with the Accademia Bizantina orchestra, becoming its director in 1996. Under his leadership, the ensemble has achieved a unique position in the musical world. As a conductor, Dantone leads both chamber music ensembles and orchestras, expanding his repertoire with works from the classical period and Romanticism. Since 1999, he has also paid a great deal of attention to opera pieces – especially to the forgotten ones - without, however, neglecting his solo career. So far, he has recorded for various labels, including Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Naïve, or Harmonia Mundi, winning numerous international prizes in the process. tickets listen

Nowadays, this group is among the most distinguished early music ensembles on the international stage. It was formed in 1983 with the intention of performing chamber music retaining the style and quality of a ‘classical string quartet.’ Initially, the band developed in collaboration with artists such as Jörg Demus, Riccardo Muti, Luciano Berio or, finally, Stefano Montanari, who was to remain the orchestra’s concertmaster for twenty years and guide them towards the idea of performing music of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries on period instruments. Since 1989, Ottavio Dantone has been collaborating with the Accademia, becoming its director in 1996. The ensemble performs in the world’s most prestigious venues and at the most famous festivals. Its numerous records for labels such as Decca, Harmonia Mundi, Naïve, Deutsche Grammophon, or Onyx, have regularly received enthusiastic reviews, won renowned prizes such as the Diapason d’Or or Midem Classic Award, or received Grammy Award nominations. tickets listen

Musicologist, organist, composer, educator, and performer of early music, he is considered an authority in the field of medieval production. Since his early youth he has shown a keen interest in church music. After his conservatory studies (composition and organ) he continued his education at the Royal School of Church Music, and also at the Paris École pratique des hautes etudes under the supervision of Michel Huglo. He is an expert in the field of Gregorian chant, and an eminent scholar of Old Roman, Mozarabic, Beneventan, and Aquitanian chant as well as of early polyphony and church music up to the 17th century. In 1982 he founded Ensemble Organum, a group with whom he has given numerous performances - and made many recordings - of medieval music. He has also been the director of several academic centres and institutes engaged in the interpretation of medieval music and of early music in general. Pérès is the winner of the Leonardo da Vinci Prize awarded by the Italian government and a companion of the French Order of Arts and Letters. tickets listen

Founded in 1982 by Marcel Pérès, the group specialises in historically informed performance. The realm of their special interest is the repertoire of medieval music. Led by the distinguished musicologist and expert in early music, the ensemble presents rare and hitherto unperformed Beneventan, Old Roman, Gallican, Carolingian, and Mozarabic chants. In preparing their repertoire, the ensemble collaborates with musicologists and historians, thus expanding the field of research on period performance. In 2001, they shifted their quarters to Moissac, where monuments of early music belonging to the Benedictine Order have been preserved. It was there that Marcel Pérès founded the CIRMA early music research centre. The ensemble can boast a rich discography. Their albums are published by the Harmonia Mundi label. tickets listen

Singer, organist, conductor and musicologist, Da Col has been interested in Renaissance and Baroque music since the time of his studies in Bologna. Over the last twenty odd years he has been a member of numerous Italian vocal ensembles, including Bologna’s Cappella di S. Petronio and Le Istitutioni Harmoniche. Since 1998, he has led Odhecaton, as well as other vocal and instrumental groups who specialise in the Baroque repertoire. Besides this, he is a co-editor of the ‘L’Organo’ magazine dedicated to organ music and also a regular contributor in ‘Il Giornale della Musica’ and other titles. His academic work focuses upon editing instrumental music and the cataloguing of the works of past epochs. Currently, he is working on a critical edition of Rossini’s collected works. He writes articles and essays on various issues connected with the history of the vocal music of the Renaissance and Baroque. At the Centre d’Études Supérieures de la Renaissance in Tours he leads a research project on Italian Renaissance bands; he also teaches at the Trieste Conservatory. tickets listen

One of the best Italian men’s ensembles specialising in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music, its name derives from the first printed collection of polyphonic music Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, published by the famous Ottaviano Petrucci. The core of the group’s repertoire comprises the output of Franco-Flemish composers; principally of Obrecht, Josquin, and Compère. The ensemble’s contribution to the rediscovering and recording of forgotten works of early music - such as, for instance, the production of 17th-century Spanish and Portuguese composers from the region of the Canary Islands, or Alessandro Scarlatti’s church music – is also very important. Their commitment to the old master’s music is appreciated by both musical scholars and critics, which is confirmed with numerous prizes and awards. The group led by Paolo Da Col can boast a rich discography and regularly performs at Europe’s most prestigious festivals. tickets listen

Founded in 1982 and also called ‘Akamus,’ the ensemble is now in the forefront of international orchestras playing on historical instruments. The band is regularly received in the musical centres of Europe. It is also well-known to the audiences of the most important early music festivals in Poland, for it has scored several spectacular successes here, too. For more than twenty years it has collaborated on a regular basis with René Jacobs, and their collaboration has so far yielded numerous opera and oratorio music productions enthusiastically received by the critics and audiences alike. Akamus often performs under the leadership of Marcus Creed, Daniel Reuss, or Hans-Christoph Rademann, and in the coming season it will be conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, Bernard Labadie, Paula Agnew, and Rinald Alessandrini. The list of Akamus’ collaborators also includes renowned soloists, such as Cecilia Bartoli, Andreas Scholl, Sandrine Piau, Isabelle Faust, Andreas Staier, Alexander Melnikov, or Anna Prohaska. The number of records sold – over one million – as well as the fact that those records have won all the important international prizes, testifies to the orchestra’s international success. tickets listen

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 Netherlands Carillon School 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 listen

One of the most distinguished Baroque violinists of the young generation, he graduated from the Academy of Music in Kraków, the Maastricht Academy of Music, and the Paris Conservatory (Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse). As a concertmaster, he has led the most eminent ensembles such as Contrasto Armonico, Ensemble Marguerite Louise, and Orchester 1756. He has given concerts and recorded with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations, as well as with Marco Vitale and Contrasto Armonico. He has also performed at the most important festivals in Europe and the United States. He is the founder of the Cantate.fr ensemble and the Il Giardino d’Amore orchestra and leader of the Cappella dell'Ospedale della Pietà and of The FeelHarmony Symphony Orchestra. He regularly runs master classes in Oslo, Los Angeles, and San Diego. He also works on productions of Baroque operas and ballets. tickets listen

Cellist who began to learn that instrument at the age of seven, and who in the course of time became not only a performer, but also sound director, arranger, and promoter. He was encouraged to reach for the repertoire of early music by the eminent Dutch cellist Jaap ter Linden. Pokrzywiński studied period performance thoroughly during master classes and studies at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the supervision of Alison McGillivray. He collaborates with the leading early music ensembles, including Arte dei Suonatori, Holland Baroque, Academy of Ancient Music, or La Nuova Musica. Both as a concertmaster and a soloist, he has performed in the concert halls of Europe, North America, and Asia. He has also recorded for labels such as Harmonia Mundi, Alpha Records, Channel Classics, and BIS. Pokrzywiński is an active promoter of musical life, who is also involved in educational and managerial activities. tickets listen

Violinist born in 1995 into a family of musicians who kindled in her an interest in early music; she began to learn the violin at the age of seven. Currently, she studies at the Academy of Music in Kraków in the Baroque violin class of Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch and Zbigniew Pilch. She is a prize-winner of numerous Polish and international competitions, both as a soloist and member of chamber orchestras. Olszewska collaborates with such ensembles as Kore Orchestra, Arte dei Suonatori, Cornu Copiae, or Capella Cracoviensis. She is also a co-founder of the Modus Consort early music ensemble. In the 2016/2017 artistic season, she was a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra. She has performed at music festivals in Poland, Croatia, Estonia, Romania, England, and Italy. tickets listen

Experienced violinist and violist, as well as musicologist, he has appeared before audiences as a soloist, concertmaster, and conductor for more than twenty years. Early music is a field in which he has a particular interest and artistic activity. In the beginning of his career he was connected with the Arte dei Suonatori orchestra, and now – with the {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna ensemble. Over the years, he has performed with – among others – the Warsaw Chamber Orchestra, Altri Stromenti, Concerto Polacco, Capella Cracoviensis, and Accademia dell’Arcadia. In addition, he has collaborated with foreign orchestras and ensembles from countries such as Germany, France, Czech Republic, or Denmark. He has given concerts at early music festivals in Poland and abroad. He boasts a long and varied list of recordings and has recorded for such labels as Erato/Warner Classics, Chanel Classics, BIS, Alpha Records, or DUX. tickets listen

Graduate of the Academy of Music in Kraków, prize-winner of Polish and international competitions for choral conductors, and participant in master classes for conductors, he has appeared at the most important music festivals in Poland and abroad. Magiera has collaborated with – among others – the Wrocław Opera, Capella Cracoviensis, Kraków Opera, Polish Radio Choir, the Choir and Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Kraków, Kraków Chamber Choir, the Senza Rigore Chamber Choir, Kantorei Sankt Barbara, and the Kraków Academic Choir of the Jagiellonian University. In 2004 he created the OCTAVA Ensemble and has been its artistic director ever since. He is also the originator and artistic director of the only – but all-year-round – early music festival in Silesia – the ANNUM Festival.  He is also involved in educational activities. tickets listen

Vocal octet recognised by the critics as one on the most intriguing vocal groups of the young generation, the OCTAVA Ensemble is the prize-winner of numerous competitions and festivals. Their repertoire ranges from music of the Renaissance to the latest contemporary music. They were received at many festivals in Poland and abroad and have collaborated with the leading cultural institutions in various countries of Europe, North America, and Asia. The group specialises in 16th-, and 17th-century music and fits into the trend of historically informed performance of early music with its interpretations of the repertoire from the transition period between the Renaissance and the Baroque. Within the framework of their ‘Ad radices musicae’ project, the octet returns to regular performance of polyphonic compositions in their proper context of the pre-Tridentine liturgy. Their discography also comprises Pękiel’s album Missa Pulcherrima, nominated for the Polish Fryderyk 2010 Award, and Hassler’s Missa Octava, enthusiastically reviewed in the British ‘Gramophone’ magazine. tickets listen

Italian opera singer - a contralto, she specialises in the Baroque repertoire and is held in especially high repute for her performances of Handel’s and Vivaldi’s works. She studied at the Milan Conservatory (Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi) and at the La Scala Theatre Academy. Her skills and exceptional timbre quickly won her the appreciation of both critics and audiences. She has interpreted the leads in opera works by Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, and Monteverdi. She has also collaborated with the most distinguished conductors in the field of historically informed performance, including Alan Curtis, William Christie, Jordi Savall, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Ottavio Dantone, and Emmanuelle Haïm. She has enchanted audiences all over the world, performing in European capitals of music – in Paris, Milan, Salzburg, Munich, Vienna, Barcelona – as well as in Australia and Asia or in the countries of both the Americas. Since the beginning of her career she has been employed by the leading record labels and, over the years, has recorded for Naïve, Virgin EMI Records, BMG, Deutsche Grammophon, and Ludi Musici. tickets listen

Specialising in the Baroque repertoire, Delphine Galou is a mezzosoprano collaborating with ensembles such as the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, I Barocchisti, Accademia Bizantina, Collegium 1704, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco, Les Siècles, Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert des Nations, Ensemble Matheus, Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble, Le Concert d'Astrée, Les Ambassadeurs and Les Talens Lyriques. She appears at major opera stages and festivals in Europe and performs as a soloist at, inter alia, Festival de Beaune, where she collected very favourable reviews for Handel’s Rinaldo and Alessandro, Porpora’s Semiramide, Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans, Orlando furioso and L'incoronazione di Dario. She maintains close relations with Zurich Opera, where she plays the part of Medoro in Orlando, Ottone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Damira in La verità in cimento. tickets listen

She learned singing under the supervision of Franca Mattiucci and Elena Kriatchko. She studied the vocal Baroque repertoire thoroughly during the master classes run by Claudio Cavina and Rossana Bertini, and she deepened her knowledge of 20th-century music with Erik Werba and Dorothy Dorow. She made her debut at the Madrid Teatro Real in Monteverdi’s Orpheus conducted by Jordi Savall. Since then Piccinini has collaborated with leading performers of early music, such as Fabio Biondi, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Christophe Rousset, or Ottavio Dantone; as well as with various ensembles and orchestras including Concerto Italiano, Europa Galante, Al Ayre Español, and Hespèrion XXI. With them, she has appeared in Europe’s finest music capitals. She also took part in recordings of the works of Monteverdi and Porpora for the Naïve label. tickets listen

Austrian mezzo-soprano, she set off on her musical adventure by learning the violin and piano. Later, however, she resolved to dedicate herself to singing, which she was taught by her mother, the well-known soprano and educator Sigrid Rennert, and graduated with distinction from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She is the prize-winner of numerous international vocal competitions. Her repertoire comprises both Baroque and classical pieces, as well as contemporary works. She would especially rouse the audiences’ admiration with her interpretations of various parts in the works of Mozart, Handel, and Vivaldi. In 2017 she made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Wagner’s Parsival. In 2018, she is going to lend lustre to that event once again and also take part in the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, Belfast International Arts Festival, and Actus Humanus. tickets listen

Graduate of the Opera Academy in Copenhagen in 2010, Martin Vanberg is a Swedish tenor well appreciated as a soloist in 18th century pieces, Britten’s operas, and the contemporary music and song repertoire from Germany, France, England and Scandinavia. He also appeared as Peter Quint in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Lurcanio in Handel’s  Ariodante, Tom in Stravinsky’s  The Rake’s Progress, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Ferrando in  Cosí fan tutte , Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, Oronte in Handel’s  Alcina and Fenton in Falstaff. Martin sang the title role in Handel’s oratorio Jephtha with Accademia Bizantina conducted by Ottavio Dantone (at the festivals in Beaune and Krakow, inter alia). He appears in major concert halls in Europe, such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Kölner Philharmonie and Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen. tickets listen