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Director Ashley Solomon
Regular performances
in some of the world's most prestigious venues have confirmed Florilegium's
status as one of Britain's most outstanding period instrument ensembles.
Following a performance at London's Wigmore Hall, The Times newspaper
wrote: Florilegium climbed the heights of dancing bliss and left the
Wigmore sighing with pleasure. They have become an indispensable feature
on the early music landscape.
Formed in 1991, Florilegium quickly established a reputation for stylish
and exciting interpretations of music from the baroque era to the early
romantic revolution. Among the numerous residencies they held was the
coveted post of Ensemble-in-Residence at London's Wigmore Hall, a position
they enjoyed from 1998 to 2000, performing several series of concerts
each year and becoming actively involved in the Hall's education work.
Since September 2008 Florilegium have been Ensemble in Association at
the Royal College of Music. They give one public performance each term
and, where appropriate, include students from the Historical Performance
department. In addition they take string, wind and keyboard sessions and
give frequent masterclasses on 18th century baroque repertoire.
Concert engagements have taken Florilegium throughout Europe, North and
South America, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia and concert venues
have included the Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Handel-Haus
in Halle, the restored Frauenkirche in Dresden, Théâtre Grevin
in Paris and the Frick Collection in New York.
Florilegium's performances range from intimate chamber works to large-scale
orchestral repertoire. The Florilegium Choir under the musical directorship
of David Hill perform baroque choral and orchestral repertoire including
mainstream passions and oratorios. Florilegium regularly collaborate with
some of the world's finest singers including Dame Emma Kirkby, Derek Lee
Ragin and Robin Blaze. Since their first collaboration at Easter 2001,
Florilegium have been regular guests of The Bach Choir and David Hill
at the Royal Festival Hall.
Performances have been given throughout 2010 to celebrate the 300th anniversary
of Pergolesi’s birth, including Wigmore Hall, Stour Festival and
York, and in Europe at the Budapest Festival, in Spain, Austria, France,
Italy and Germany. The 2010/11 season starts with Florilegium’s
debut at the Edinburgh International Festival, in August 2010, with a
concert of Bolivian Baroque. Other concerts that season include performances
in France, and chamber and orchestral concerts throughout the UK. The
culmination of the season will be the group’s 20th anniversary concerts
at the Wigmore Hall in July 2011. These will be two concerts comprising
the complete Bach Brandenburg Concerti and Orchestral Suites, and the
group’s original first violin, Rachel Podger, will be guest Leader
that weekend.
Their twenty recordings for Channel Classics have been
awarded many prizes including a Gramophone Award nomination, Editor’s
Choice from Gramophone, Diapasons d’Or and Chocs de la Musique.
Florilegium’s CD of Telemann’s Paris Quartets Vol 2 received
the Classical Internet Award from Classicstoday.com. The Bach Cantatas
disc with Johannette Zomer was awarded a 2008 Edison Award, Dutch music’s
most prestigious prize. The second volume of Baroque Music from Bolivian
Missions was nominated for a 2008 BBC Music Magazine award, and BBC Music
Magazine selected volume 3 as Disc of the Month for April 2010. A disc
of music by Pergolesi was released in May 2010; future recordings include
Florilegium's arrangements of Bach's Organ Trio Sonatas.
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