Role

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Ensemble

Genre

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Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

Collegium 1704 is a Czech classical music ensemble that specializes in performing Baroque music. The ensemble was founded in 2005 by the conductor and harpsichordist Václav Luks, who remains its artistic director to this day. Collegium 1704 takes its name from the year 1704, which was a significant year in the history of music, as it saw the premiere of several important works by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. The birth of Collegium 1704 can be traced back to Luks' early years as a musician. Born in Prague in 1970, Luks began studying music at a young age, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already performing as a soloist and accompanist. He went on to study at the Prague Conservatory and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland, where he specialized in early music and historical performance practice. After completing his studies, Luks began working as a conductor and harpsichordist, and he quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading interpreters of Baroque music in Europe. In 2005, he founded Collegium 1704 with the aim of creating a world-class ensemble that would specialize in performing the music of the Baroque era. From the very beginning, Collegium 1704 was a huge success. The ensemble's first concert, which took place in Prague in 2005, was a sell-out, and it received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Since then, Collegium 1704 has gone on to perform at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls and festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the BBC Proms. One of the highlights of Collegium 1704's career came in 2014, when the ensemble was invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of the BBC Proms. The concert, which featured works by Bach and Handel, was a huge success, and it cemented Collegium 1704's reputation as one of the leading Baroque ensembles in the world. Over the years, Collegium 1704 has also won numerous awards and accolades for its performances and recordings. In 2011, the ensemble won the prestigious Gramophone Award for its recording of Bach's Mass in B Minor, and it has also been nominated for several other major awards, including the International Classical Music Awards and the BBC Music Magazine Awards. Despite its many achievements, Collegium 1704 remains committed to its mission of bringing the music of the Baroque era to audiences around the world. The ensemble continues to perform regularly at concerts and festivals, and it has also released several critically acclaimed recordings, including a complete cycle of Bach's sacred cantatas. In addition to its performances and recordings, Collegium 1704 is also involved in a number of educational and outreach programs. The ensemble regularly works with young musicians and students, and it has also established a residency program in Prague, which provides opportunities for emerging artists to work with the ensemble and gain valuable experience in historical performance practice. In conclusion, Collegium 1704 is a world-class classical music ensemble that has made a significant contribution to the performance and interpretation of Baroque music. Founded by the conductor and harpsichordist Václav Luks in 2005, the ensemble has gone on to perform at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls and festivals, and it has won numerous awards and accolades for its performances and recordings.

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