A new orchestra playing ancient music Thüringer Bach Collegium Thuringia is often described as the land of Bach, as the Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach (*1685 in Eisenach — †1750 in Leipzig) spent the first 30 years of his life in Eisenach, Arnstadt, Weimar and other towns and cities of Thuringia. He came from a musical dynasty that had already shaped the Thuringia music scene for 150 years at the time of his birth. Throughout the world, he is the most famous member of the Bach family of musicians. Thuringia practically »breathes« Bach and it has a long tradition of preserving Bach’s musical heritage. Although his works initially fell into oblivion after his death, classical music since the 19th century has meanwhile become inconceivable without them. Innumerable concerts and festivals honouring Bach and his music bear witness to this. In many areas of music, Bach paved the way and contributed to the enhancement of musical forms and language. Some of his works continue to transcend the established canon of forms. Hence, the »Bach« in the new ensemble’s name not only symbolises the programme itself but also its claim of offering a new, fresh and captivating sound. Thüringer Bach Collegium – ancient music heads for new shores A new star has risen in the sky of ancient music in Weimar. The Thüringer Bach Collegium is playing works by Johann Sebastian Bach, his ancestors (from the Altbachische Archiv), his sons and his contemporaries in a historically informed performance on antique instruments. The founders are two »old hands« in the orchestra business of Thuringia’s cultural scene. The ensemble is being conducted by the Gernot Süßmuth, Johann Sebastian Bach’s successor as concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Weimar. Christian Bergmann, general manager and double bass player, has been performing in the Staatskapelle Weimar for 17 years. Both musicians have been associated with the music of J. S. Bach since earliest childhood and youth. Christian Bergmann, for instance, was born in Arnstadt and baptised in the Bach Church. Real experts and connoisseurs with experience and musical enthusiasm The founders and other members of the Thüringer Bach Collegium have many years of experience as soloists and first-chair players in large symphony and opera orchestras. And, if required, the ensemble is complemented by freelance musicians, experts in the field of ancient music and, in particular, with special instruments not played in a conventional orchestra, such as the viola da gamba, recorder, natural horn and Baroque trumpet. They all allow their expertise from working with major conductors and soloists to flow into their music. Their wealth of experience from music culture to contemporary music, combined with the latest scientific insights into historical performances, complements and enlivens the current concert programme in the field of ancient and Baroque music. Regular performances with internationally renowned conductors and soloists enhances the orchestra’s musical spectrum. Instruments – witnesses of their era The Thüringer Bach Collegium plays on valuable historical string instruments, including violins from Giovanni Grancino or replicas of historical wind instruments. The string instruments are all around 300 years old. This means they were already being played and listened to during the lifetime of Johann Sebastian Bach. Thuringia Cultural Ambassador »The Thüringer Bach Collegium stands for immense musical enthusiasm and energy. Our concerts are intended to touch the listeners and to enable them to dive into a world beyond the everyday hustle and bustle«, says Christian Bergmann describing the motivation behind the newly founded ensemble. »We unite highly qualified musicians from the whole of Thuringia. As an ambassador from Bachland Thüringen, we wish to go out into the world to present Thuringia’s music culture and, above all, our rich treasure of Baroque music. Across all languages and generations, with music something ›resonates‹ – in the true meaning of the word – inside the listener. Baroque music has brought forth many pieces of music, which meanwhile are intuitively known to a broad public, for instance from commercials and films. In order to reach as many people as possible, we appear at festivals and in (Bach) churches. Here the threshold is lower than, say, in a theatre or opera house, where Baroque music is less frequently found in the repertoires.«

la festa musicale ... is a baroque ensemble from northern Germany. Since it was founded in 2014, the young chamber orchestra has swiftly made a name for itself through its passion, stylistic accuracy and virtuosity. High motivation and the first-class artistic niveau of all its musicians are characteristic of the ensemble: they are charismatic representatives of a new generation of historical performance practice. la festa musciale has been a guest at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Handel Festival Halle, the Festival Alte Musik Knechtsteden, the Lower Saxony Music Days and the Festival Alter Musik Regensburg. The artistic direction is in the hands of the ensemble's concert master, Anne Marie Harer. The second CD of works by Haydn‘s predecessor Gregor Joseph Werner, conducted by Lajos Rovatkay, was released in autumn 2022. This was preceded by the album “Storie di Napoli“ (a baroque-musical city tour through mythical Naples with recorder player Barbara Heindlmeier and soprano Maria Ladurner) and an internationally acclaimed production with concertos by Francesco Venturini. There are also recordings of J. S. Bach‘s motets (with the Kammerchor Hannover) as well as church music by Bonifazio Graziani (with the Collegium Vocale Hannover), Diogenio Bigaglia and Antonio Lotti (with the Knabenchor Hannover). Concerts of la festa musicale have been recorded by Bavarian Radio (BR), Deutschlandfunk and North German Radio (NDR - Norddeutscher Rundfunk). The ensemble has performed with internationally renowned soloists and conductors such as Jörg Breiding, Anna Dennis, Peter Kooij, Joanne Lunn, Hermann Max, Klaus Mertens, Alex Potter, Andreas Scholl, Jörg Straube and Zachary Wilder. la festa musicale is committed to passing on its own unique enthusiasm for early music to diverse and inquisitive audiences. It is particularly interested in the creation of its own programmes and performance formats. Family and children's concerts such as “Locatelli or the Eavesdropping Magnifying Glass“, programmes narrated by the ensemble itself as well as music education projects in primary schools and refugee accommodation bring performers and listeners together: a festival of clapping, singing and dancing! As one of 16 orchestras and ensembles, la festa musicale is part of the federal funding programme “Excellente Orchesterlandschaft Deutschland“ in 2023/2024. It is an official and institutionally sponsored partner of the UNESCO City of Music Hannover, Ensemble in Residence of the Hanoverian Markuskirche and cooperation partner of the Forum Agostino Steffani. “la festa musicale is a young and very likeable baroque ensemble. [...] Rarely have I experienced this combination of immense passion, precision and spontaneity. My compliments!“ Andreas Scholl, Countertenor (2016)

Since its inception in 2009, the Boreas Quartett Bremen has dedicated itself to the core repertoire of the recorder quartet: music from the renaissance and the modern era. The ensemble possesses a collection of over 40 recorders in various models and sizes, including a twelve-piece renaissance consort by Peter van der Poel, built after original instruments of the sixteenth century. The Boreas Quartett Bremen has been invited by festivals including Musikfest Bremen, MDR-Musiksommer, Tage Alter Musik Saarbrücken, Boston Early Music Festival (USA), Music Before 1800 New York (USA), Musica Antica Urbino (Italy), Taiwan International Recorder Festival, Concentus Moraviae (Czech Republic), baroque muerz (Austria) and AMUZ Antwerp (Belgium). The four musicians have been praised in the press for their “tonal mastery”, their “lively, great expressiveness, outstanding tech- nique, perfect intonation and incredible precision in their music-making”. Jin-Ju Baek, Elisabeth Champollion, Julia Fritz and Luise Manske studied recorder from 2004 to 2009 with Han Tol at the Early Music department of the University of the Arts Bremen. In 2014, the ensemble was accepted into Germany’s 59 th Federal Selection of Young Artists’ Concerts, and in 2012, the quartet won the Saarländischer Rundfunk’s Early Music Advancement Prize and the Audience Award. The musicians have also been able to gain the support of foundations for numerous projects, including the foundations “Laudate, Cantate”, Heinz Peter and Annelotte Koch, Waldemar Koch, Dr. Christiane and Bernd Rogge and the Mariann Steegmann Foundation. From 2020 to 2023, the Boreas Quartett Bremen will be supported by the Bremen culture senator’s ensemble programme.

Under the musical and artistic direction of Aziz Shokhakimov from this season, the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg ranks as one of the major orchestras in France, with the label of “National Orchestra” being awarded in 1994. With 110 permanent musicians perpetuating its dual French/German tradition, the Orchestra is engaged in an ambitious project centred on symphonic music targeting all types of audiences and performs over 100 concerts every year. Its international renown is constantly enhanced by its dynamic audio-visual coverage. The Orchestra boasts a vast repertoire from the 18th century to the present day for which internationally renowned conductors and soloists are invited, but it is also greatly attached to promoting a new generation of artists. The Orchestra has also adopted an extensive audio-visual policy with a number of media partners, thereby ensuring visibility on a national and international scale. The Orchestra contributes to Strasbourg’s outreach in France, performing regularly at the Philharmonie de Paris, and throughout Europe in the most prestigious concert halls. With an impressive discography to its name, the Orchestra caused a sensation with its recording of two landmark opuses by Berlioz: Les Troyens and La Damnation de Faust, unanimously acclaimed by critics worldwide. The release of the CD BariTenor with Michael Spyres in September 21 has been widely acclaimed and awarded. Two recordings of opuses dedicated to Janáček and Prokofiev under the Warner label are still to be released this season.