Arcangelo
From 2025, Arcangelo will be the London Handel Festival’s Principal Ensemble in Residence.
Arcangelo is an award-winning, internationally-acclaimed period performance ensemble led by its founder and artistic director Jonathan Cohen. Its ethos is ruled by a determination to apply the deep listening skills and artistry of chamber music making to every piece in its repertoire. The ensemble’s collective energy and spirit continue to generate a flood of critical awards and five-star reviews, spark audience ovations, and prompt invitations to the foremost international venues and festivals.
Arcangelo was the first named Baroque Ensemble in Residence at Wigmore Hall in London, where it maintains a close ongoing artistic relationship. Its three appearances at the BBC Proms include the Proms premiere of Handel’s ‘Theodora’ and a televised performance of Bach’s ‘St Matthew Passion’. In the past three years, Arcangelo has appeared at Barbican Centre, Santander International Festival, De Singel Antwerp, Liszt Academy Budapest, De Bijloke Ghent, Festival Musika-Musica Bilbao, Zentrum Paul Klee Bern and at leading venues across South America, appearing with soloists including Avi Avital, Iestyn Davies, Barnabas Kelemen, Katharina Konradi, Theotime Langlois de Swarte, and on UK tour with Milos. Arcangelo has previously appeared at Carnegie Hall, Snape Maltings, MA Festival Brugge, Dresden Arts Festival, Tonhalle Zurich, and Philharmonie Koeln.
Arcangelo’s critically-lauded discography now comprises a total of 30 releases, including the first new studio recording by a British ensemble in almost 25 years of Handel’s ‘Theodora’, immediately awarded a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, BBC Radio 3/Record Review Record of the Week, and Limelight Record of the Month. Further highlights include Buxtehude’s Trio Sonatas Op.1 on Alpha, nominated for a 2018 GRAMMY Award; two Gramophone Award-winning albums with Iestyn Davies on Hyperion; a BBC Music Magazine Award-winning survey of cello concerti by C.P.E. Bach with soloist Nicolas Altstaedt; a 2021 studio recording of Handel’s ‘Brockes Passion’ on Alpha, named Album of the Week by BBC Radio 3 and The Sunday Times; and a multiply-nominated concept recording with mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, ‘Tiranno’, hailed by Gramophone as “a model of what a recital album can be”.
In 2020, Arcangelo launched its New Ensemblists programme to develop the next generation of ensemble musicians specialised in period performance. The scheme provides a two-year programme of bespoke training and opportunities to outstandingly promising young musicians.
Jonathan Cohen has forged a remarkable career as a conductor, cellist and keyboardist. Well known for his passion and commitment to chamber music Jonathan is equally at home in such diverse activities as baroque opera and the classical symphonic repertoire. He is the new Artistic Director of the Handel and Haydn Society, in addition to continuing as Artistic Director of Arcangelo, Music Director of Les Violons du Roy and Artistic Director of Tetbury Festival.
Throughout the 23-24 season, Jonathan continues to have a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe he guest conducts Budapest Festival Orchestra, Kammerorchester Basel, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liege and Hessischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester. In his first season as their new Artistic Director, Jonathan leads the Handel & Haydn Society in Baroque masterpieces including Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Messiah. He conducts further performances of Messiah with San Francisco Symphony whilst projects with Les Violons du Roy include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and a US tour with Milos Karadaglic.