Playing standing up, walking, dancing—La Capriola breathes new life and movement into Renaissance violin consorts, gracefully reinventing a forgotten practice for today’s audiences. 
By 
Founded in 2021 at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon, Consort La Capriola revives the little-known tradition of Renaissance violin bands. Bringing together Charlotte Gerbitz, Dorine Lepeltier-Kovács and Manon Papasergio, joined in particular by the singer Camille Fritsch and a range of instrumentalists, the ensemble combines musicological and organological research, historically informed performance on period instruments and interdisciplinary creation. A member of the European S-EEEMERGING+ programme since 2024, it won both the Jury’s First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Première Competition in Brussels in 2025, as well as First Prize at the Cadets en Scène Competition in Paris. Following the musical theatre production Harlou!, premiered at the Festival OFF d’Avignon in 2024 and revived in 2025, La Capriola continues to explore the connections between music, theatre and humanist thought. Its debut album, Sulla Piazza, devoted to the violins of San Marco, will be released by Ricercar on 2 October 2026.
What is the origin of the ensemble?
Dorine Lepeltier-Kovács: We met at the CNSMD in Lyon. All four of us shared a special affection for Renaissance music. Manon [Papasergio] and I were in the cello class, and Charlotte [Gerbitz] and Juliette [Ridel], who was with us before, were in the violin class with Odile Edouard. We tried out several groupings and projects, and then in 2021, we decided to make it a bit more official.
Manon Papapsergio: Our instruments are violins of different sizes! The cello is actually a bass violin tuned in C. The main difference is that we play standing up.
Dorine L-K.: When violinists played for nobles, they weren’t allowed to sit down. And for processions, having a bit of mobility was important too.
And you walk while playing?
Manon P.: And we dance while playing! The violin is, after all, the dancing instrument.
Dorine, you play the tenor violin. How does one approach an instrument that is no longer played or taught today?
Dorine L-K.: There are several stages: the first is to play a bass violin tuned a fifth higher, to get a feel for it. Then you have to have an instrument built—mine was made by Jean-Paul Boury, who had already built one of this type for the CNSMD in Lyon. It’s a small cello, the size of a three-quarter, like those for children.
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