Genre

:

Choral

 

Ensemble Officium is a classical music ensemble that specializes in performing medieval and Renaissance music. The ensemble was founded in 1988 by the German countertenor, conductor, and musicologist, Dr. Gerd Türk, and the Swiss keyboardist, conductor, and musicologist, Dr. Johannes Berchmans Göschl. The ensemble's name, "Officium," is Latin for "duty" or "service," and reflects the ensemble's commitment to performing music that was originally written for religious services. The founding members of Ensemble Officium were all highly trained musicians with extensive experience in performing early music. Dr. Türk had studied voice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, and had performed with many of the leading early music ensembles in Europe, including the Hilliard Ensemble and the Clemencic Consort. Dr. Göschl had studied organ and harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria, and had also performed with many of the leading early music ensembles in Europe, including the Concentus Musicus Wien and the Clemencic Consort. In the early years of the ensemble, Ensemble Officium focused primarily on performing music from the medieval and Renaissance periods, with a particular emphasis on music from the 15th and 16th centuries. The ensemble's repertoire included sacred music, secular music, and instrumental music, and the ensemble's performances were characterized by their precision, clarity, and expressive power. Over the years, Ensemble Officium has expanded its repertoire to include music from other periods and styles, including Baroque music, classical music, and contemporary music. The ensemble has also collaborated with many other musicians and ensembles, including the Hilliard Ensemble, the Tallis Scholars, and the Huelgas Ensemble. One of the highlights of Ensemble Officium's career was their performance at the 1999 Salzburg Festival, where they performed a program of music by the 16th-century Spanish composer, Tomás Luis de Victoria. The performance was widely praised for its beauty, clarity, and emotional power, and helped to establish Ensemble Officium as one of the leading early music ensembles in Europe. Another highlight of Ensemble Officium's career was their recording of the complete works of the 16th-century Flemish composer, Jacobus Clemens non Papa. The recording, which was released in 2005, was widely praised for its scholarship, its musicality, and its emotional depth, and helped to establish Ensemble Officium as one of the leading interpreters of Renaissance music. Ensemble Officium has also received many awards and honors over the years, including the Echo Klassik Award for Best Ensemble Performance in 2003, the Diapason d'Or Award for Best Early Music Recording in 2005, and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2010. The ensemble's recordings have been widely praised for their musicality, their scholarship, and their emotional depth, and have helped to establish Ensemble Officium as one of the leading interpreters of early music. Today, Ensemble Officium continues to perform and record music from the medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as music from other periods and styles. The ensemble's members are all highly trained musicians with extensive experience in performing early music, and their performances are characterized by their precision, clarity, and expressive power.

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