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| Concerto Copenhagen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Concerto Copenhagen |
| Origin | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Genre | Baroque, Classical, Early Music |
| Members | period-instrument ensemble |
Concerto Copenhagen is a Danish period-instrument ensemble based in Copenhagen, Denmark, specializing in Baroque and Classical repertoire performed on historical instruments. The ensemble has collaborated with prominent conductors, soloists, and festivals across Europe and North America, establishing a reputation for informed performance of repertoire by composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Its activities intersect with major institutions including the Royal Danish Opera, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Danish Academy of Music, European Union Baroque Orchestra, and international presenters like the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Founded in 1991 during a wave of historically informed performance interest that included ensembles like The English Concert, Academy of Ancient Music, Les Arts Florissants, and Hespèrion XXI, the group emerged from Copenhagen's early-music scene alongside institutions such as the Royal Danish Orchestra and the Royal Danish Theatre. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the ensemble collaborated with artists linked to the Harmonia Mundi and Deutsche Grammophon catalogs, and participated in festivals such as the Gustav Mahler Festival, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg Festival, and Edinburgh International Festival. Institutional partnerships have included residencies at the Royal Library of Denmark, collaborations with the Danish National Church choir traditions, and exchanges with the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and Concerto Köln.
Leadership has featured concertmasters and directors drawn from European early-music circles, with artistic directors often collaborating with figures associated with Christopher Hogwood, Jordi Savall, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Ton Koopman, and William Christie. The ensemble's musicians trained at conservatories such as the Royal Academy of Music (London), Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Conservatoire de Paris, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Sibelius Academy, and the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Guest soloists have included artists whose careers connect to András Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, Rachel Podger, Nigel North, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Marek Janowski, and Emma Kirkby. Administrative and artistic management has interfaced with funding bodies like the Danish Arts Foundation, Nordic Culture Fund, European Cultural Foundation, and local municipalities.
The ensemble's repertoire emphasizes Baroque, pre-Classical, and Classical works by composers linked to the Northern European and Italian traditions: Johann Stamitz, Gustav Mahler's earlier orchestrations reinterpretations notwithstanding, as well as Dietrich Buxtehude, Heinrich Schütz, Francesco Geminiani, Arcangelo Corelli, Domenico Scarlatti, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Johann Christian Bach. Their practice follows scholarship associated with editors and musicologists from institutions such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, and publications by Terence Charlton and John Butt. Performance approaches reflect conventions advocated by proponents like Nicholas McGegan, Trevor Pinnock, Ton Koopman, and Rachel Podger, including use of gut strings, baroque bowing, historical pitch, and ornamentation informed by treatises by Quantz, C.P.E. Bach, Marin Marais, and Giovanni Battista Martini.
Concerto Copenhagen's discography includes recordings of concertos, cantatas, and chamber works released on labels that have included BIS Records, Dacapo Records, Ondine (record label), and collaborations featured on Naxos Records compilations. Repertoire covered in studio and live recordings spans works by Vivaldi's concerti, Bach's chamber music, Telemann suites, and lesser-known Scandinavian composers linked to the Denmark Golden Age and archives from the Royal Library (Copenhagen). Critics from outlets like Gramophone (magazine), BBC Music Magazine, The New York Times, and The Guardian have reviewed releases, and recordings have been distributed through platforms associated with Presto Classical, Apple Music, and classical radio networks such as DR P2 and WDR 3.
The ensemble has toured extensively in Europe and North America, appearing at venues and festivals including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Musikverein, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Teatro La Fenice, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and festivals like Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lucerne Festival, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra collaborations, and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. Residencies have included periods at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the Copenhagen Opera Festival, and international exchanges with the Stockholm Early Music Festival and Festival International de Musique Baroque de Lamèque.
The ensemble's work has been recognized with nominations and awards from organizations such as the Danish Music Awards, Gramophone Awards, Diapason d'Or, and honors from cultural bodies like the Danish Arts Council and the Nordic Council. Reviews and accolades have appeared in publications including The Times (London), Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and industry sources like Classic FM and Radio France Musique.
Educational activities connect the group with conservatories and programs such as the Royal Danish Academy of Music, European Union Youth Orchestra initiatives, masterclasses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and workshops in partnership with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), local schools in Copenhagen, and heritage institutions like the National Museum of Denmark. Outreach includes collaborations with ensembles and projects associated with Early Music Network partners, historical instrument collections at the Zentrum für Alte Musik, and mentorship of young soloists who later appear with institutions like the Berlin Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Category:Danish early music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1991