English Concert

English Concert
Name	English Concert
Background	group_or_band
Origin	London
Genre	Baroque music, Historically informed performance
Years active	1972–present
Label	Archiv Produktion, Harmonia Mundi, Decca Classics, Hyperion Records
Associated acts	Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Monteverdi Choir

English Concert is a British ensemble specialising in Baroque music, Classical period repertoire and historically informed performances on period instruments. Founded by conductor-musician Trevor Pinnock in the early 1970s, the group quickly established a reputation in London and internationally through recordings, tours and collaborations with leading soloists and conductors. The ensemble has been associated with venues such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and festivals including the Edinburgh Festival and the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

History

The ensemble was formed amid a resurgence of interest in Baroque revival and early music that involved figures like Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Gustav Leonhardt, Christopher Hogwood, John Eliot Gardiner and institutions such as Early Music societies and conservatoires. Early concerts in London and broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 placed the group alongside ensembles like the Academy of Ancient Music and the English Baroque Soloists. Important early performances included works by Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Arcangelo Corelli, and Antonio Vivaldi. The ensemble's trajectory paralleled the growth of historically informed performance practices championed at venues such as the Concertgebouw and the Musikverein and recorded for labels like Archiv Produktion.

Artistic Direction and Personnel

Founding director Trevor Pinnock led the ensemble through its formative decades, collaborating with soloists such as Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Christopher Hogwood and instrumentalists from groups like the English Baroque Soloists. Later artistic directors included Harry Bicket, who expanded collaborations with singers like Dame Emma Kirkby and conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner. The roster has featured principal players drawn from conservatoires like the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, as well as soloists including Rachel Podger, Iestyn Davies, Mark Padmore, Dame Felicity Lott and Dame Janet Baker. Administrative leadership has worked with presenters from BBC Proms, managers linked to Deutsche Grammophon and agents from major festivals such as the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Repertoire and Recordings

Repertoire spans Baroque staples such as Handel's oratorios (Messiah), Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Corelli's concerti grossi, and Bach cantatas and concerti including the Brandenburg Concertos. The ensemble recorded extensively for Archiv Produktion, Harmonia Mundi, Decca Classics and Hyperion Records, producing acclaimed sets of Handel opera arias, Purcell odes, and Handel's Alcina and Rodelinda. Collaborative projects included lieder and recitals with Susan Graham, baroque opera productions with companies such as English National Opera and recordings alongside choirs like the Monteverdi Choir and the Tawny Choir. Their discography has been reviewed in publications including Gramophone (magazine), The Guardian, The New York Times and BBC Music Magazine.

Instruments and Performance Practice

The ensemble performs on period instruments such as gut-stringed violins, Baroque violas, Baroque cellos, theorbo, baroque guitar, harpsichord, organ and natural trumpets, following approaches championed by scholars like Nicholas Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. Use of temperaments, ornamentation conventions and historical bows reflects research from sources including treatises by Quantz, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and archival material from St Martin-in-the-Fields and royal collections like those associated with Hampton Court Palace. Work with instrument makers and restorers linked to workshops in Brescello and Markneukirchen has informed tuning, stringing and continuo practice.

Tours and Residencies

The ensemble has toured across Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia, appearing at major halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Konzerthaus Berlin. They have been resident ensembles at festivals including the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the BBC Proms, and held residencies at institutions like Wigmore Hall and the Royal Opera House for staged baroque productions. Collaborations with orchestras and opera houses such as La Monnaie, Paris Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper and touring with soloists to festivals like Salzburg Festival expanded their international profile.

Awards and Recognition

Recordings and performances have received awards and nominations from institutions including the Gramophone Awards, the Grammy Awards, the Diapason d'Or and Choc de Classica. Critical acclaim has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde and specialized journals such as Early Music (journal). Honorary recognitions and invitations from entities like the British Academy, the Royal Philharmonic Society and cultural ministries in France and Germany have acknowledged the ensemble's influence on the revival of Baroque music performance practice.

Category:Baroque orchestras Category:Musical groups established in 1972 Category:Historically informed performance ensembles