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Since its formation in 1991, Florilegium have established a reputation for stylish and exciting interpretations of music from the Baroque era to the early romantic revolution. Among the numerous residencies Florilegium have 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.
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. Concert engagements have taken Florilegium throughout Europe, to North and South America, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. The group receives numerous invitations to perform at major international festivals each season and concert venues have included the Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Wigmore Hall in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Handelhaus in Halle, the recently-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 new musical directorship of David Hill perform baroque choral and orchestral repertoire including mainstream passions and oratorios. Florilegium regularly works with some of the world’s finest musicians including Dame Emma Kirkby, Derek Lee Ragin, and Andrew Manze. Since its first collaboration at Easter 2002, Florilegium have been regular guests of The Bach Choir and David Hill at the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.
Following a busy summer in 2007, with concerts at the York Early Music Festival, in Oxford, the Wigmore Hall, festivals in Croatia (Zadar), France (Luberon and Ambronay) and the Czech Republic, as well as their annual week of masterclasses there, the 2007-2008 season starts with tours of Switzerland and Estonia. Bolivian singers join the ensemble in Switzerland, and in Spain in January 2008, and the Bolivian chamber choir, formed and trained by Ashley Solomon, travel to Europe in February 2008 for a concert in London, a recording and tour of the Netherlands. Other concerts include a series with Dame Emma Kirkby (Wigmore Hall, Birmingham Early Music Festival, Hereford and Istanbul), concerts across the UK, in Netherlands, Spain, France and Austria, and Florilegium continue recording their cycle of Salomon’s arrangements of Haydn’s London symphonies.
The group’s string of 17 recordings for the Dutch label 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 from France. Georg Philipp Telemann’s Paris Quartets Vol. 2 was awarded the group's 4th Editor’s Choice from Gramophone Magazine as well as winning the Classical Internet Award from Classicstoday.com. Florilegium's first volume of Baroque Music from the Missions of the Moxos and Chiquitos Indians was released to critical acclaim in 2005 and a 2nd volume of Bolivian Baroque Music was Gramophone Editor's Choice in March 2007. Future projects include the release of Bach Cantatas and Sinfonias with the Dutch soprano Johannette Zomer in September and Florilegium’s arrangements of J.S. Bach’s Organ Trio Sonatas later in 2007. |
