London, Vilnius, Basel, Montpellier, Düsseldorf

The Art of Fugue with Il Convito, Maude Gratton and Noé Soulier (London)

On 20 and 21 March, the musicians of Il Convito, led by Maude Gratton, joined forces with dancers from Cndc – Angers to reinterpret Bach’s The Art of Fugue at the Linbury Theatre in London. Presented as part of the Dance Reflections festival by Van Cleef & Arpels, in partnership with The Royal Ballet & Opera, the performance, Close Up, was choreographed by Noé Soulier. Since 2020, the festival has been championing bold, poetic and distinctive choreographic work on the international stage.

With Il Convito, Maude Gratton, Cndc – Angers and Noé Soulier.

Love and Madness with the Istituto Italiano (Vilnius)

As part of the Mario Scacchi Early Music Festival in Vilnius, a trio of Italian musicians — Claudio Astronio, Marina Bartoli and Marco Frezzato — took to the stage at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania for a concert titled Love and Madness, marking the celebration of Early Music Day.

With Claudio Astronio, Marina Bartoli and Marco Frezzato.

Heavenly music with Chelsea Zurflüh, Franziska Fleischanderl and La Cetra (Basel)

On 21 March, Basel’s Church of St Martin hosted Swiss soprano Chelsea Zurflüh, psaltery player Franziska Fleischanderl, conductor Andrea Marcon and the baroque orchestra La Cetra for Himmlische Musik für Salterio & Sopran – a concert of heavenly music featuring works by Vivaldi, Corelli and Vinci.

With Chelsea Zurflüh, Franziska Fleischanderl, La Cetra and Andrea Marcon.

Music-led tours at the Musée Fabre with Sylvain Sartre and Margaux Blanchard (Montpellier)

On 21 March, flautist Sylvain Sartre and viola da gamba player Margaux Blanchard brought music into the halls of Montpellier’s Musée Fabre. Through a guided tour combining painting and sound, the spring-themed programme offered fresh perspectives on the artworks, with music illuminating their stories in a new light.

With Margaux Blanchard and Sylvain Sartre.

Leonardo García-Alarcón named ICMA Artist of the Year (Düsseldorf)

At the International Classical Music Awards gala in Düsseldorf on 19 March 2025, Argentine conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón was honoured as “Artist of the Year”. The jury praised his outstanding ensemble, Cappella Mediterranea, citing his “inspired imagination and versatility over the past decade, which continue to surprise and captivate audiences from one programme to the next.”

With Cappella Mediterranea and Leonardo García-Alarcón.

Three concerts by Arcangelo at the London Handel Festival (London)

As ensemble-in-residence at the London Handel Festival, Arcangelo gave three standout concerts: an opening performance at St George’s Hanover Square, a showcase of emerging talent with the Arcangelo New Ensemblists at the Foundling Museum, and a grand finale concert of Giulio Cesare, Theodora and Alcina arias featuring Emöke Barath and Jonathan Cohen.

With Rachel Nicholls, Paulina Francisco, Stuart Jackson, Adam Plachetka, Arcangelo, l’Arcangelo New Ensemblists, Emöke Barath and Jonathan Cohen.