Biography of Gabrieli Consort & Players
Founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli Consort & Players are world-renowned interpreters of great choral and instrumental repertoire, spanning from the renaissance to the present day. Their performances encompass virtuosic a cappella programmes, mould-breaking reconstructions of music for historical events, and major works from the oratorio tradition. Gabrieli Consort & Players are acclaimed interpreters of Handel's oratorios and Bach Passions and their many recordings have garnered numerous international awards. Their recent recording, Haydn's Creation, won a 2008 Gramophone Award for Best Choral Recording.
Gabrieli Consort & Players are regular visitors to the world's most prestigious concert halls and appear frequently at all of London's major venues, with their own promotions often held in the splendidly refurbished Christ Church, Spitalfields. Recent and upcoming highlights include tours of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, a cappella music around many of Spain's spectacular cathedrals, and Handel's Jephtha.
A number of strong relationships have helped define Gabrieli Consort & Players' international profile. For ten years, in conjunction with Martin Randall Travel, Gabrieli has pioneered new areas of 'cultural tourism' in creating festivals of music in european historic centres. They have been resident artists at Brinkburn Music in Northumberland, with whom they have developed some of their most exciting projects, for 15 years. Gabrieli Consort & Players are also associate artists of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Wrocław, Poland, and have embarked on an exciting partnership with the Wrocław Philharmonic Choir, which includes plans for international tours and recording large-scale oratorio. The ensemble is increasingly committed to working with young singers and players and has created projects with the Tees Valley Youth Choir and Chetham's School of Music. Gabrieli Consort & Players will be joined by the Wrocław Philharmonic Choir and the Chetham's Chamber Choir on 18 July 2009 to perform Haydn's Creation at the BBC Proms.