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| Concerto Amsterdam | |
|---|---|
| Name | Concerto Amsterdam |
| Origin | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Genre | Early music, Baroque, Classical |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Telefunken, Philips, Deutsche Grammophon |
| Past members | Gustav Leonhardt, Anner Bylsma, Frans Brüggen |
Concerto Amsterdam is a Dutch ensemble specializing in historically informed performances of Baroque and Classical repertoire. Founded in Amsterdam, the group drew musicians associated with Amsterdam Conservatory, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and pioneering period-instrument ensembles in the Netherlands. Concerto Amsterdam became known for collaborations with leading figures from the early music revival, producing recordings and tours that intersected with major festivals and conservatories across Europe and North America.
Concerto Amsterdam emerged during the early music revival that included ensembles such as Leonhardt Consort, Concentus Musicus Wien, Musica Antiqua Köln, Huguenot Baroque Orchestra, and individuals like Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Paul McCreesh, Christopher Hogwood, and Ton Koopman. Its formation coincided with developments at institutions like the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Sweelinck Conservatory, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, and recording projects for labels such as Philips Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, and Erato Records. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the ensemble intersected with movements represented by Historische Aufführungspraxis, festivals including Aix-en-Provence Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Festival d'Ambronay, and venues like Concertgebouw and Royal Albert Hall.
Members of Concerto Amsterdam included instrumentalists and vocalists drawn from conservatory faculties and orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and ensembles like Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Key collaborators were baroque specialists connected to names such as Gustav Leonhardt, Anner Bylsma, Frans Brüggen, Wim Diepenhorst, Ton Koopman, and Jaap Schröder. Guest soloists and conductors came from circles including René Jacobs, Nicholas McGegan, Jürgen Jürgens, William Christie, and Philip Pickett. The group worked with continuo players trained at institutions like Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, and the Royal Academy of Music.
The ensemble’s repertory emphasized composers associated with Baroque music and Classical period practice: works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel, Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Purcell, Georg Philipp Telemann, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, and Jean-Philippe Rameau. Concerto Amsterdam contributed recordings to catalogues alongside projects by Pierre Boulez and Herbert von Karajan on period-informed programs, and partnered with labels like Telefunken, Philips, and Deutsche Grammophon for series that paralleled initiatives such as the Complete Bach Edition and the Mozart Complete Edition. The ensemble participated in historically informed reconstructions of works performed in contexts related to St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, St. Mark's Basilica, Venice, Royal Palace of Versailles, and archives like the British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Concerto Amsterdam toured across Europe, North America, and Japan, appearing at festivals and halls such as the Salzburg Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, and Teatro La Fenice. Tours often included collaborations with choirs and institutions like the Netherlands Bach Society, Collegium Vocale Gent, Monteverdi Choir, and broadcasters such as BBC Radio 3 and WDR Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble engaged in residency programs at conservatories including the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and performed in historically significant sites like Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam and Oude Kerk (Amsterdam).
Critics connected Concerto Amsterdam’s work to the broader reception of period performance promoted by figures such as Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christopher Hogwood, Ton Koopman, and ensembles like Concentus Musicus Wien and Musica Antiqua Köln. Reviews in publications associated with outlets such as Gramophone (magazine), The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, and Die Zeit noted the ensemble’s clarity, articulation, and stylistic sensitivity. The group influenced pedagogy at institutions like the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and conservatories across the Netherlands, contributing to period-instrument technique adopted by later ensembles such as Il Giardino Armonico, Les Arts Florissants, and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir.
Concerto Amsterdam received honors and nominations paralleling awards granted to early music performers, appearing on ballots for prizes such as the Gramophone Award, Diapason d'Or, Choc de la Musique, and national recognitions like the Dutch Edison Award. The ensemble’s recordings were cited in surveys and retrospectives produced by institutions including the Royal Concertgebouw, NRC Handelsblad, and archival projects at the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.
Category:Dutch early music groups