Concerto Köln is an ensemble specialising in music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The group formed in 1985, one of many groups associated with the surging interest in
period instruments in that decade. Its members consisted mainly of recent graduates of
conservatories from across Europe. They began touring the Continent, often making appearances at major festivals. In 1992 they founded the Cologne Festival of Early Music with the aid of Deutschland Radio. They receive no government
subsidies
A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
, and do not have a permanent
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
, though the group has an artistic director, Martin Sandhoff. Among the concert masters is
Evgeny Sviridov.
Their repertory stretches from early Baroque on through the Classical Era and as far into the nineteenth century as Wagner. They have also done a number of collaborative works, such as a disc juxtaposing
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
folk music with pieces in a Turkish style by composers such as
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
. They have recorded frequently with, among others,
René Jacobs
René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera.
Biography Countertenor
Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his music ...
,
Daniel Harding
Daniel John Harding (born 31 August 1975) is a British conductor.
Biography
Harding was born in Oxford. He studied trumpet at Chetham's School of Music and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra at age 13. At age 17, Harding assembled ...
,