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Capriccio Baroque Orchestra is a classical music ensemble that specializes in performing Baroque music. The ensemble was founded in 1985 by a group of musicians who shared a passion for Baroque music and wanted to bring it to a wider audience. Since then, Capriccio Baroque Orchestra has become one of the most respected and acclaimed Baroque ensembles in the United States. The founding members of Capriccio Baroque Orchestra were a group of musicians who had previously played together in various other ensembles. They included violinists John Hsu and David Wilson, cellist Allen Whear, and harpsichordist Beverly Biggs. The ensemble was initially formed as a chamber group, but it quickly grew in size as more musicians joined. One of the main goals of Capriccio Baroque Orchestra was to perform Baroque music on period instruments. This meant using instruments that were similar to those that would have been used during the Baroque era, such as gut strings on the violins and cellos, and wooden flutes and oboes. The ensemble also used historical performance practices, such as ornamentation and improvisation, to recreate the sound and style of Baroque music as accurately as possible. Capriccio Baroque Orchestra's first major performance was in 1986, when they performed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The ensemble received critical acclaim for their performance, and they were soon invited to perform at other prestigious venues, such as the Kennedy Center and the National Gallery of Art. Over the years, Capriccio Baroque Orchestra has performed a wide range of Baroque music, including works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Telemann. They have also commissioned new works by contemporary composers, such as John Harbison and Richard Wernick. One of the highlights of Capriccio Baroque Orchestra's career was their performance at the Boston Early Music Festival in 1997. The festival is one of the largest and most prestigious early music festivals in the world, and Capriccio Baroque Orchestra was one of the few American ensembles to be invited to perform. Their performance was a huge success, and it helped to establish the ensemble's reputation as one of the leading Baroque ensembles in the United States. Capriccio Baroque Orchestra has also received numerous awards and accolades over the years. In 1992, they were awarded the WETA-FM Award for Excellence in Early Music Performance. In 2001, they received the Early Music America/Naxos Recording Competition Award for their recording of Handel's "Water Music." And in 2010, they were awarded the Maryland State Arts Council's Individual Artist Award for Music Performance. Today, Capriccio Baroque Orchestra continues to perform and record Baroque music, and they remain one of the most respected and acclaimed Baroque ensembles in the United States. The ensemble's current members include violinists John Hsu and David Wilson, cellist Allen Whear, and harpsichordist Beverly Biggs, as well as a number of other talented musicians. They continue to perform on period instruments and to use historical performance practices, in order to recreate the sound and style of Baroque music as accurately as possible.

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