The Orchestra

The main focus of the Czech Ensemble Baroque Orchestra repertoire is on music from the Baroque and Classical eras, with the use of instruments and performance techniques that reflect the period in which the works were composed. The chief conductor of the orchestra since its foundation has been Roman Válek, Petr Růžička acts as the concertmaster. The ensemble works in the modern project style and invites the best early music players both from the Czech Republic and abroad to cooperate with.

The dramaturgy of the orchestra covers the whole range of Baroque and Classicism genres, mainly vocal and instrumental pieces starting from Colla parte accompaniments of chamber pieces (Bach´s Motets) to demanding oratorios and operas (Haydn´s Creation, Purcell´s King Arthur). The ensemble has recently focused on recitals with soloists (Adam Plachetka, Andreas Scholl, Tamar Halperin, Chouchane Siranossian, Luise Haugk, Barbara Maria Willi, Michaela Koudelková etc.) and independent orchestral projects (Mozart, Tůma, Richter, Bach, Händel, Telemann, Naumann).

The ensemble is focused on three main projects which are concert series “Bacha na Mozarta!” in Brno, summer opera festival “Znojmo Music Festival” in Znojmo and workshop Summer School of Baroque music in Holesov.

Czech Ensemble Baroque regularly records for Czech Radio Vltava, Czech Television and for the most significant Czech record label, Supraphon.

The orchestra members play the originals or replicas of period instruments and as such they are graduates of Czech and international schools aimed at period interpretation of early music. As a matter of fact it is considered common to perform in historical tuning with clear articulation, style instrumentation, knowledge of the context of the piece and of historical sources and particular involvement of each player , which is presented by “captivating musical expression, temperament and enthusiasmus“ and which is the thing the orchestra and the conductor are often praised for by expert reviews.