ensemble (A)

The orchestra Arte dei Suonatori was formed in Poznań in 1993 by the violin players Ewa and Aureliusz Goliński. Having developed its individual style, it become the most recognisable Polish early music ensemble on international music scene. The core of the ensemble was originally formed by string and continuo players from Poland, but over the years the orchestra has become more international, featuring musicians from, among others, England, Belgium and Sweden. Their repertoire exceeds 600 compositions representing wide range of styles and forms of 17th and 18th music, and the contemporary works written for the ensemble as well. One of the most recent engagements involving contemporary music includes performance in Warsaw Philharmonic at the opening concert of the 57. International Festival of Contemporary Music "Warsaw Autumn".
In 1998, the orchestra and Cezary Zych (lawyer, philosopher and editor of "Canor" magazine) initiated a series of early music events which very quickly evolved into "Early Music - Persona Grata" Festival, that each year organizes few projects with the best artists from all over the world, as well as other early music festivals: Haendel Festival in Toruń, Three Baroques Festival in Wrocław and "Music in Paradise" in Paradyż. The orchestra regularly works with distinguished soloists and conductors (including Hidemi Suzuki, Rachel Brown, Eduardo López Banzo, Davitt Moroney, Alice Piérot, Alberto Rasi, Alexis Kossenko, Dan Laurin, Barthold Kuijken, Ryo Terakado, Reinhard Goebel, Salomé Haller, Robert Hill, Maria Keohane, Allan Rasmussen, Kati Debretzeni, Bolette Roed, Aline Zylberajch and Rachel Podger), with whom they have recorded for some of Europe’s best known record labels - BIS, Alpha, and Channel Classics. Many of their recordings have won prestigious awards such as Diapason d’Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Luister 10, 10 de Classica-Répertoire, Classics Today, Classic CD, Tokkata-Alte Musik Aktuell, Month’s BBC Music Magazin Choice, Classic FM Magazin, Prelude Classical Music Awards 2009 (distinction for the best album with orchestral music for CD with Concerti grossi op. 6 by G.F. Händel), BBC Music Magazin Editor’s Choice, Telerama ffff. Their disc of Vivaldi’s La stravaganza, featuring Rachel Podger as soloist, won the 2003 Baroque Disc of the Year Gramophone Award.
Arte dei Suonatori performs regularly at the most important early music festivals all over the world; their concerts were broadcast by most European radio stations including BBC, NDR, Danish Radio DR, Polish Radio PR2, and recorded by Polish Television. In 2006 the orchestra was honoured with the Artistic Award of the City of Poznań.