Drottningholms Barockensemble
Biography Drottningholms Barockensemble
The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble
was formed by viola player Lars Brolin in 1971. The six original musicians set themselves the goal of playing 17th and 18th century music on period instruments. Today, the number of members has grown and the ensemble can at most present an orchestra with strings, winds, percussion and timpani. The ensemble's concertmaster is the violinist Nils-Erik Sparf, who is also a primary member of Uppsala Kammarsolister, and Stefan Lindvall, a freelance musician based in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Over the years the DBE has had the opportunity to work and tour in several countries and continents including the USA, China, Australia, Spain, Germany, France and Japan. Many famous artists and conductors have chosen to work with Drottningholmarna. In Sweden, concerts have been organised with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and the Bach Choir. World-renowned conductors include Christopher Hogwood, Andrew Parrott, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Sigiswald Kuijken, Emmanuelle Haim and Alfredo Bernardini, and soloists such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Clas Pehrsson, Malena Ernman and Emma Kirkby. Since 2006, the ensemble has collaborated with soprano Barbara Hendricks. This collaboration has so far resulted in three recordings and several tours in France, Morocco and Japan.
Some 60 recordings have been made for BIS, EMI, Musica Svecia and Naxos with works by Bach, Handel, Telemann and Roman, to name but a few. The recording of Vivaldi's "The Seasons" received international acclaim and was chosen as the best recording of the work by the prestigious German magazine Audio.
Since 2005, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble has run its own concert series with about 6 concerts per year. Over the years, both different constellations of the DBE and a large number of visiting groups and soloists have participated. As of 2010, the series is a collaboration with Engelbrekt's parish in Stockholm.
Since 2005, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble has run its own concert series with about six concerts per year. Over the years, various constellations of the DBE as well as a large number of visiting groups and soloists have participated. In 2011, the ensemble celebrated its 40th anniversary with three festive concerts, where both baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini and composer Carl Unander-Scharin were on the programme.
