Venice Baroque Orchestra

Chamber Orchestra

Germany and different countries

Founded in 1997 by acclaimed Baroque scholar and harpsichordist Andrea Marcon, the Venice Baroque Orchestra (VBO) is recognized as one of the premier ensembles devoted to period instrument performance. Celebrated for its vibrant sound and stylistic authenticity, the ensemble has earned international acclaim through performances across North America, Europe, South America and Asia.

Under Marcon’s direction, the Orchestra is deeply committed to the rediscovery of 17th- and 18th-century masterpieces. Among its landmark achievements are the modern-day premieres of Francesco Cavalli’s L’Orione, Vivaldi’s Atenaide and Andromeda liberata, Benedetto Marcello’s La morte d’Adone and Il trionfo della poesia e della musica, and Luigi Boccherini’s La Clementina. In collaboration with Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the VBO has staged acclaimed productions of Cimarosa’s L’Olimpiade, Handel’s Siroe, and Galuppi’s L’Olimpiade. Siroe later received its first full U.S. staging at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The Orchestra has appeared at major international festivals and venues, including the Dresden Music Festival, the Istanbul Festival, and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. In 2010, in a bold departure from traditional repertoire, the VBO premiered Philip Glass’s violin concerto The American Four Seasons with violinist Robert McDuffie during a 28-city North American tour—an extraordinary project for a Baroque ensemble.

The VBO has toured extensively with world-renowned artists such as countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, soprano Karina Gauvin and mandolinist Avi Avital.

Its long-standing collaboration with Avital includes tours across Europe, North America, Asia, and Mexico, as well as the acclaimed 2015 Deutsche Grammophon recording Vivaldi, featuring concertos transcribed for mandolin and orchestra. The Orchestra also performs regularly with soprano Núria Rial, with whom it explores sacred and secular Baroque repertoire by composers such as Vivaldi, Handel, and Porpora. Their performances have been widely praised for expressive refinement and stylistic clarity.

The ensemble has been featured in numerous international television broadcasts and documentaries, including productions by the BBC, ARTE, NHK Japan, NTR Netherlands, and Swiss TV’s film Vivaldi in Venice by Richard Dindo. It is also the subject of several recent video recordings.

The Orchestra’s rich discography includes recordings for Sony and Deutsche Grammophon. Highlights include Andromeda liberata in its world premiere recording; Vivaldi violin concertos with Giuliano Carmignola; Vivaldi arias and motets with Simone Kermes; Handel and Vivaldi arias with Magdalena Kožená; Italian arias with Patricia Petibon; The Four Seasons and previously unrecorded Vivaldi concertos with Carmignola; and Bach arias with Angelika Kirchschlager. The 2012 release L’Olimpiade on Naïve, a pasticcio based on Metastasio’s libretto, includes world premiere recordings of many 18th-century opera arias and was awarded Choc du Monde de la Musique. In the same period, the album Porpora Arias with Philippe Jaroussky on Erato received a Grammy nomination.

In 2020, the Orchestra recorded Tartini: Violin Concertos featuring Chouchane Siranossian as soloist, under the baton of Andrea Marcon. The album received outstanding reviews and multiple international awards, including the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Choc Classica 2020, ICMA 2021 (Baroque Instrumental category), and the Premio della Critica Discografica Franco Abbiati – III Edizione – 2021.

Most recently, in 2023, the VBO released Duello d’archi a Venezia, again with Chouchane Siranossian as the sole violin soloist, conducted by Andrea Marcon. This vibrant recording features works by Vivaldi, Tartini, and Locatelli, and captures the electrifying virtuosity and expressive contrasts that characterize the golden age of the Venetian Baroque. The album was praised for its brilliant execution, historical insight, and Siranossian’s commanding performance.

In the same year, the Orchestra’s global profile was further underscored by their invitation to perform at the 51st Festival Internacional Cervantino, the most important cultural festival in Mexico and South America. Additionally, in autumn 2024, VBO completed a highly successful tour across several major cities in the United States, further solidifying its place as one of the most prestigious Baroque ensembles worldwide.

The Venice Baroque Orchestra has performed in more cities across the United States than any other Baroque ensemble in history and maintains one of the most active touring schedules in Asia. VBO’s work has been honored with numerous awards, including the Diapason d’Or, the German Echo, and the Edison Award, confirming its position at the forefront of historically informed performance worldwide.

As of Season 2024/2025

Please use this by Weigold & Böhm authorized Biography only.

Contacts

Yvonne Weigold

Managing Director

yvonne@weigold-boehm.de

+49 81 93 23 61 200
Michaela Legat

Project Manager

michaelacornelia@weigold-boehm.de

+49 81 93 23 61 206

Photos

Venice Baroque Orchestra © Luca Valenta
Venice Baroque Orchestra © Luca Valenta
Venice Baroque Orchestra © Luca Valenta
Venice Baroque Orchestra © Luca Valenta
Venice Baroque Orchestra © Luca Valenta
VBO © Anna Carmignola
VBO © Anna Carmignola

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