Concerto Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
Concerto Copenhagen, also known as CoCo, is a Danish
period instrument orchestra
, established in 1991 and directed since 1999 by harpsichord
ist Lars Ulrik Mortensen
.
They play both the traditional baroque
and classical repertoire and lesser-known Scandinavia
n music, staying true to their Nordic
origins. They also regularly perform opera
at The Royal Opera in Copenhagen
. They have performed with Emma Kirkby
, Andreas Scholl
, Andrew Manze
, and others. From 2002 they have worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
.
They have recorded the solo harpsichord concertos of J. S. Bach with Mortensen as soloist and many other works on record labels cpo and BIS
. The orchestra is supported by The Danish State Arts Agency and National Danish Radio, which regularly broadcasts their performances.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
period instrument orchestra
Baroque orchestra
The Baroque orchestra is the type of orchestra that existed during the Baroque period, commonly identified as 1600-1750. Its origins were in France where Jean-Baptiste Lully added the newly re-designed hautboy and transverse flutes to his vingt-quatre violons du Roy...
, established in 1991 and directed since 1999 by harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist Lars Ulrik Mortensen
Lars Ulrik Mortensen
Lars Ulrik Mortensen is a Danish harpsichordist and conductor.He studied with Karen Englund and Jesper Bøje Christensen at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and with Trevor Pinnock in London....
.
They play both the traditional baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
and classical repertoire and lesser-known Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n music, staying true to their Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
origins. They also regularly perform opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
at The Royal Opera in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. They have performed with Emma Kirkby
Emma Kirkby
Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, DBE is an English soprano singer and one of the world's most renowned early music specialists. She attended Sherborne School For Girls in Dorset and was a classics student at Somerville College, Oxford, and an English teacher before developing a career as a soloist...
, Andreas Scholl
Andreas Scholl
Andreas Scholl is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range. He is noted as a specialist in Baroque music.-Childhood:...
, Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze is an English violinist and conductor.As a guest conductor Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra,...
, and others. From 2002 they have worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Chamber choir
A chamber choir or group of chamber singers is the choral equivalent of a chamber ensemble, using voices instead of instruments. This prestigious choir will usually consist of 20-40 elite and dedicated singers. Several chamber choir formats exist, ranging from barbershop groups to exclusively...
.
They have recorded the solo harpsichord concertos of J. S. Bach with Mortensen as soloist and many other works on record labels cpo and BIS
BIS Records
BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
. The orchestra is supported by The Danish State Arts Agency and National Danish Radio, which regularly broadcasts their performances.
External links
- http://www.coco.dk/ - official website
- http://www.myspace.com/concertocopenhagen - information on upcoming performances etc.
- 2004 story in Goldberg magazine