From Salzburg to London, via Warsaw and the Jura mountains, five snapshots of the baroque summer: Proms debuts, festival creations and open-air concerts. 
By 
Le Consort at the Proms in London
Théotime Langlois de Swarte and his ensemble Le Consort made their Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall. In front of a full house, the twenty-one-piece ensemble presented their new programme — Vivaldi, Bach, Legrenzi, Uccellini, Matteis Jr, Marcello — broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and filmed for BBC Four.
With Justin Taylor, Hanna Salzenstein, Sophie de Bardonneche, Le Consort and Théotime Langlois de Swarte.
Vox Luminis in Salzbourg
The Belgian ensemble Vox Luminis, directed by Lionel Meunier, opened the 2025 Salzburg Festspiele with Timor Dei, a programme bringing together oratorios by Giacomo Carissimi and his student Marc-Antoine Charpentier. On the bill: the biblical tales of Jephte and Jonah on the one hand, and The Denial of Saint Peter — arguably Charpentier’s most moving oratorio on the theme — on the other.
With Vox Luminis and Lionel Meunier.
Jakub Orliński in Varsovie
To celebrate the 72nd anniversary of Warsaw’s Old Town — its central square having been inaugurated in 1953 after being entirely rebuilt following the Second World War — the Warsaw Museum invited Jakub Orliński and pianist Michał Biel for a large open-air concert. The programme featured baroque arias and traditional Polish songs.
With Jakub Orliński and Michał Biel.
L’ensemble Céladon at the Musique en Haut ! Festival in Prémanon (France)
Countertenor Paulin Bündgen and Céladon ensemble presented No Time in Eternity at the Musique en Haut! Festival in Prémanon, in the Jura region of France. This programme combines Elizabethan consort songs by William Byrd for viols and countertenor with works by contemporary British composer Michael Nyman, highlighting a timeless artistic bridge between Renaissance and contemporary English music.
With the Céladon ensemble and Paulin Bündgen.
A Venetian finale in Potsdam
The Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci closed with a tribute to Venice — a classic stop on the Grand Tour, which inspired the theme of the 2025 edition. In the Friedenskirche, the ceiling’s 800-year-old golden mosaic evokes the island of Murano and its famous glassmakers. This year’s festival featured 24 concerts, 5 opera performances, 4 open-air events and brought together 344 artists from 17 different countries.
With, among others, Max Emanuel Cenčić, {oh!} Orkiestra, the Diderot ensemble, Apollo’s Cabinet, the Basel Chamber Orchestra, Sandrine Piau, A Nocte Temporis, the Micrologus ensemble, Giulia Semenzato, Dorothee Oberlinger, Avi Avital, Per-Sonat and the B’Rock Orchestra.
Il Giardino Armonico opens the Innsbruck Early Music Festival
The Innsbruck Festival of Early Music opened in the Spanish Hall of Schloss Ambras with a concert entitled La sprezzatura, performed by the ensemble Il Giardino Armonico under the direction of Giovanni Antonini. Violinist Dmitry Smirnov took centre stage in three concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, Pietro Antonio Locatelli and Giuseppe Tartini. The evening concluded with a concerto by Pietro Nardini, featuring Giovanni Antonini on the flute.
With Dmitry Smirnov, Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini.
You must be logged in to be able to post comments.
Sign in