About us
With a reputation for inspired performances of baroque and classical music, The English Concert ranks among the finest chamber orchestras in the world.
The English Concert
The English Concert was founded in 1972. It was at the forefront of a revolution in the way early music was performed. Early pioneers, like TEC founder Trevor Pinnock, embraced this journey of curiosity and exploration, discovering new sounds and textures that enriched the emotional impact of the music. This also coincided with a golden age of recording technology and, through LPs, cassettes, and CDs, The English Concert soon became a household name. Outstanding musicianship was suddenly accessible to many.
Since 2008, under the helm of artistic director Harry Bicket, TEC has deepened its commitment to Handel’s operas and oratorios, and continued to build on its global reputation. From Carnegie Hall to the Incheon Arts Center, with regular appearances at the BBC Proms and a residency at Garsington Opera, TEC has become known not just as a great period orchestra, but, to quote our US friends, “a great orchestra, period.” TEC’s trademark dynamism, whether seen on stage, on record, or on camera, feels somehow ever-renewing.
Harry Bicket – Artistic Director
Harry Bicket is Artistic Director of The English Concert and Music Director of Santa Fe Opera, and is recognised internationally for his interpretations of baroque and classical music. Born in Liverpool, he studied at the Royal College of Music and the University of Oxford, and is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music and OBE. He conducts regularly at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, and major houses across North America and Europe, and works with leading orchestras on both continents. A prolific recording artist, his discography includes Grammy and Gramophone Award-nominated releases, and his 2022 production of Theodora at the Royal Opera House received an Olivier Award nomination.
Kristian Bezuidenhout – Guest Principal Director
Kristian Bezuidenhout is one of the most versatile musicians of his generation, performing on fortepiano, harpsichord, and modern piano, and increasingly in demand as a conductor. Born in South Africa and trained at the Eastman School of Music, he first came to international attention winning first prize at the Bruges Fortepiano Competition at 21. He appears regularly with the world’s leading period and modern ensembles, and is Principal Guest Director of both the Freiburger Barockorchester and The English Concert, and Associate Artist of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. His discography of over 30 award-winning albums, mostly for Harmonia Mundi, includes the complete keyboard music of Mozart, the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos, and an ongoing Mozart Piano Concerto cycle with the Freiburger Barockorchester, and in 2013 he was nominated Gramophone Artist of the Year.
Trevor Pinnock – Founding Director
Trevor Pinnock is renowned worldwide as a harpsichordist and conductor who pioneered the modern revival of early music performance. He founded The English Concert in 1972, building it into one of the leading period instrument ensembles with an extensive Deutsche Grammophon discography, celebrated in 2023 with a 100-disc box set. Since stepping down from its leadership in 2003, he has pursued a wide-ranging career as conductor and soloist, working regularly with major orchestras across Europe and Asia. He is Artistic Director of the Anima Mundi Festival in Pisa and Principal Conductor of both the Kioi Hall Chamber Orchestra in Tokyo and the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra in London. He was awarded a CBE in 1992.
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Concerts, films and recordings of this music are possible because individuals choose to fund them.
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