Stile Antico
Early Music Vocal Ensemble
Stile Antico. Photo credit Kaupo Kikkas
Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its twelve members have thrilled audiences on four continents with their fresh, vibrant and moving performances of Renaissance polyphony. Its bestselling recordings have earned accolades including the Gramophone Award for Early Music, Diapason d’or de l’année, Edison Klassiek Award, and Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. The group has received three Grammy® nominations, and performed live at the 60th Grammy® Awards at Madison Square Garden.
Based in London, Stile Antico has appeared at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals. The group enjoys a particularly close association with Wigmore Hall, and has performed at the BBC Proms, Buckingham Palace, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Cité de la Musique, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Leipzig Gewandhaus and Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional. Stile Antico is frequently invited to appear at Europe’s leading festivals: highlights include the Antwerp, Bruges, Utrecht and York Early Music Festivals, the Lucerne Easter Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
Since its 2009 North American debut at the Boston Early Music Festival, Stile Antico has enjoyed frequent tours to the US and Canada. The group performs regularly in Boston and New York, and has appeared at the Ravinia Festival, Washington’s National Cathedral and Library of Congress, Vancouver’s Chan Centre, and in concert series spanning twenty-five US states. Stile Antico has also appeared in Mexico and Colombia, and in 2018 visited East Asia for the first time, performing in South Korea, Macau and Hong Kong.
Stile Antico’s performances are often praised for their immediacy, expressive commitment, and their sensitive and imaginative response to text. These qualities arise from the group’s collaborative working style: members rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing artistically to the musical results. The group is also noted for its compelling programming, which often draws out thematic connections between works to shine new light on Renaissance music. In addition to its core repertoire, Stile Antico has premiered works by Joanna Marsh, John McCabe, Nico Muhly, Giles Swayne, and Huw Watkins. The group’s diverse range of collaborators includes Fretwork, the Folger Consort, Marino Formenti, Lemn Sissay, B’Rock, Rihab Azar, and Sting.
Alongside its concert and recording work, Stile Antico is passionate about sharing its repertoire and working style with the widest possible audience. As well as leading regular courses at the Dartington International Summer School, the group has been resident at Zenobia Música, and is often invited to work alongside ensembles at universities, festivals, and early music forums. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stile Antico threw its energies into digital projects, producing a ‘virtual choir’ recording of Tallis’ Spem in Alium, as well as filmed concerts and lecture-recitals. The support of the charitable Stile Antico Foundation has enabled Stile Antico to offer bursaries to talented young professional singers and ensembles, and to run an annual Youth Consort course.
2023 sees Stile Antico mark 400 years since the death of William Byrd with the release of an acclaimed second album on Decca Classics, a BBC Proms appearance in Derry, three visits to the US, and concerts and workshops throughout the UK, supported by Arts Council England. Further engagements include concerts in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Performance: Sunday, October 1, 2023 @ 3pm in Lang Concert Hall
Masterclass: Sunday, October 1, 2023 @ 6:30pm in Lang Concert Hall
