Country

:

Belgium

Genre

:

Choral

 

 

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

La Petite Bande is a renowned classical music ensemble that has been active for over four decades. The ensemble was founded in 1972 by the Belgian conductor and harpsichordist Sigiswald Kuijken, who remains its artistic director to this day. La Petite Bande is known for its historically informed performances of Baroque and Classical music, using period instruments and techniques to recreate the sound and style of the music as it would have been heard in its original context. Sigiswald Kuijken was born in 1944 in Dilbeek, Belgium, and began his musical career as a violinist. He studied at the Brussels Conservatory and later at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland, where he became interested in early music and historical performance practices. In 1972, Kuijken founded La Petite Bande with a group of like-minded musicians who shared his passion for Baroque music and historical performance. The ensemble's name, which means "the little band," reflects its original size and intimate, chamber-music approach. Over the years, La Petite Bande has grown and evolved, but it has remained true to its original mission of exploring the rich repertoire of Baroque and Classical music with a historically informed approach. The ensemble has recorded extensively, with over 100 albums to its name, and has performed in major concert halls and festivals around the world. Its members include some of the leading specialists in historical performance, including violinist Lucy van Dael, cellist Wieland Kuijken (Sigiswald's brother), and harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt (who was a frequent collaborator until his death in 2012). One of La Petite Bande's most notable achievements was its complete recording of the Bach cantatas, which it undertook in the 1980s and 1990s. This monumental project involved recording all of Bach's surviving cantatas (over 200 in total) using period instruments and historical performance practices. The recordings were released on the Accent label and received widespread critical acclaim, earning numerous awards and accolades. The project was a major milestone in the history of Baroque music performance and helped to establish La Petite Bande as one of the leading ensembles in the field. In addition to its Bach cantata project, La Petite Bande has recorded a wide range of other Baroque and Classical repertoire, including works by Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, Mozart, and Haydn. The ensemble's recordings are known for their clarity, precision, and expressive power, as well as their fidelity to historical performance practices. La Petite Bande has also collaborated with many other leading musicians and ensembles, including the Collegium Vocale Gent, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. La Petite Bande has performed in many of the world's leading concert halls and festivals, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, and the Salzburg Festival. The ensemble has also toured extensively, with regular appearances in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its performances are known for their energy, passion, and commitment to historical authenticity, and have earned the ensemble a devoted following among classical music lovers around the world. Over the years, La Petite Bande has received numerous awards and honors for its recordings and performances. These include the Grand Prix du Disque, the Diapason d'Or, and the Edison Award, among others.

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