Orpheus Baroque – Carnival in Venice

French violinist Amandine Beyer is considered one of the leading interpreters of Baroque and Classical violin repertoire. Her recordings have been praised by international critics and awarded virtually every major distinction imaginable. She regularly appears on the world’s foremost stages and at prestigious festivals.

Now she visits Konserthuset Stockholm to lead Orfeus Barock in a programme devoted entirely to the string music of Antonio Vivaldi. We journey to Venice, where Vivaldi was born and spent most of his life. He was primarily active as a violinist, composer and music teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà – a renowned home for girls and music school – where he composed many of his concertos.

Amandine Beyer has recorded a significant portion of Vivaldi’s music, notably with her own ensemble Gli Incogniti. Their recordings – of The Four Seasons, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s string symphonies, and Corelli’s Concerti grossi, among others – have been hailed as new benchmarks. In addition to her concert career, Beyer is a sought-after pedagogue and teaches Baroque violin at institutions including the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland.

Orfeus Barock Stockholm is made up primarily of members of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. In less than a decade, the ensemble has become a vibrant and creative hub – not only for Philharmonic musicians with expertise in early music, but also for many of Sweden’s leading Baroque specialists. Artistic directors are the orchestra’s principal cellist Johannes Rostamo and lutenist Jonas Nordberg.