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Ensemble

 

Graindelavoix is a Belgian early music ensemble that specializes in the performance of medieval and Renaissance music. The group was founded in 1999 by the Belgian tenor and musicologist Björn Schmelzer, who remains its artistic director. Schmelzer was born in 1975 in Germany and grew up in Belgium. He studied musicology at the University of Leuven and singing at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He became interested in early music while studying musicology and began performing with various ensembles in Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1999, Schmelzer founded Graindelavoix with the goal of exploring the vocal music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in a historically informed manner. The group's name means "voice of the grain" in French and refers to the idea of the human voice as a natural and essential element of music. Graindelavoix quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and daring approach to early music. The ensemble's performances are characterized by a raw, visceral quality that emphasizes the emotional and spiritual power of the music. Schmelzer has described the group's style as "archaeological" in that it seeks to uncover the hidden meanings and resonances of the music through careful research and experimentation. One of Graindelavoix's early breakthrough performances was a concert at the Festival van Vlaanderen in 2001, which featured music from the Codex Chantilly, a manuscript of French secular music from the 14th century. The concert was praised for its bold and imaginative interpretation of the music, which included improvisation and experimentation with vocal timbres and textures. Since then, Graindelavoix has performed at major festivals and venues throughout Europe, including the Festival d'Ambronay, the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The group has also released several critically acclaimed recordings, including albums of music by Guillaume de Machaut, Johannes Ockeghem, and Josquin des Prez. In addition to its performances and recordings, Graindelavoix has also been recognized for its contributions to early music scholarship. Schmelzer has published several articles and essays on medieval and Renaissance music, and the ensemble has collaborated with musicologists and historians on research projects and publications. Graindelavoix has received numerous awards and honors for its work, including the prestigious Klara Award for Best Early Music Ensemble in 2011. The group's recordings have also been recognized with awards and nominations from organizations such as Gramophone and Diapason. Despite its success, Graindelavoix remains committed to its mission of exploring the rich and complex world of early music. The ensemble continues to push the boundaries of historical performance practice and to challenge audiences with its bold and imaginative interpretations of medieval and Renaissance music.

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