Arcangelo is one of the world’s leading ensembles bringing together exceptional musicians who excel on both historical and modern instruments, under the direction of founder and artistic director & conductor Jonathan Cohen.
Its players believe that the collaboration required in chamber music, whether working in duos or as a chamber orchestra, is the highest expression of what it means to make music. Setting it apart from other ensembles, all performers are committed to this chamber ideal and as such Arcangelo attracts an outstanding calibre of performers who already have flourishing solo and chamber music careers. These are performers of dazzling technical ability, but they also have a passion for faithful interpretation that goes far beyond historical understanding.
Formed in 2010, Arcangelo has exploded onto the musical scene with verve and energy and has since enjoyed numerous invitations to appear at major festivals and concert halls in Europe and America.
Arcangelo’s debut CD was released with Hyperion Records in 2011 and featured cantatas by the Italian composer Nicola Porpora. This first recording achieved great critical success. June 2012 saw the release of their second disc with Hyperion entitled “Arias for Guadagni”. This features music by George Frideric Handel, Gluck and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and again presents the renowned British counter tenor, Iestyn Davies. It too gained universal critical acclaim and won a prestigious Gramophone Award in 2012. Also in 2012 they released a new disc with Berlin Classics of W.A. Mozart, Gluck and Grétry. Entitled ‘Amoretti’, this was a collaboration with the German soprano, Christiane Karg. Next, ‘Finest Arias for Base Voice’ with Christopher Purves (Hyperion), was released in December 2012. It was selected by BBC Radio 3 as one of the outstanding recordings of the year, and later nominated for a 2013 Gramophone Award. Arcangelo was also delighted to be nominated, with Iestyn Davies (counter-tenor), for the 2013 Sky Arts South Bank Award for their collaboration, Arias for Guadagni. “Enchanted Forest” with Anna Prohaska was released in 2013, and “Love and Loss”, a recording of Monteverdi Madrigals, in early 2014. |