Founded in Cremona in 2004 by Stefano Molardi and Jonathan Guyonnet, the baroque ensemble I Virtuosi delle Muse immediately received international recognition for its inventive and personal use of original instruments and its adherence to historical performance practices.

The ensemble stands out for the rigor and the sensibility of its interpretive approach, and performs Italian and German music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with an ensemble that can vary from 3 to more than 40 musicians, depending on the repertory.

The ensemble actively participates in Festivals and concert seasons in numerous European countries (Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Holland, Hungary, Switzerland).

Particularly suited to musical theatre, I Virtuosi have performed in important opera productions, collaborating with directors such as Massimo Gasparon (Ademira by A. Luchesi in Bibbiena, 2006; Mitridate by N. Porpora in Valladolid, 2007). Their recent performances of Bach’s Matthäus Passion and Magnificat were acclaimed as a great success. They’re also constantly invited at important venues and major Baroque festivals such as Festival Claudio Monteverdi (Cremona), Schwetzinger Festspiele, Munich’s Prinzregententheater, Theater an der Wien (Vienna), Oldenburger Promenade, Rheingau Musik Festival, Opéra de Nantes, Opéra d’Orléans …

The object of brilliant reviews, the musical efforts of I Virtuosi also extend to the recording studio, where it was honoured in the ensemble category by early music critics (5 stars Goldberg, Crescendo Prize, Early Music, 5 stars Musica…). The ensemble was also recognized by groups promoting classical Italian violin making in collaboration with the Associazione Liutaria Italiana.

The need to “renew” the interpretive research in baroque music is what motivates and guides I Virtuosi delle Muse. Constant and accurate philological inquiry does not limit; rather, the style and the sensitivity of this instrumental ensemble gives life to new and original interpretations. The tendency to impose a single and indisputable interpretation of baroque repertoire has often limited and labeled it as being static or tedious.

The certainty that baroque language is characterized by a score that offers large margins of freedom (both in terms of instrumentation and interpretation) led I Virtuosi delle Muse to make the timbric possibilities of the orchestral organic livelier and richer (see sections on the use of the Viola d’amore and the Viola tenore).

The organization of I Virtuosi delle Muse is based on a company-like management structure. The founders are Stefano Molardi and Jonathan Guyonnet. Giuseppe Placentino joined the group in 2007 and is responsible for public relations, both on a national and international level. Together, the team deals with all management and organizational issues, and uses their musical and musicological expertise to write the concert notes, to define the musical programming and for the artistic direction of the musical recordings.

Regarding the purely musical aspects, the group benefits from an artistic synergy between the conductor Stefano Molardi and the concertmaster Jonathan Guyonnet. The careful and rigorous study of the musical score is concretized in “colours”, articulations, dynamics that are written on each of the parts before the rehearsals in order to make more effective use of the time dedicated to the technical aspects of the orchestration and the sectional practice sessions that are entrusted to the concertmaster. This allows the conductor to focus on interpretation, with clear advantages in terms of optimizing production times. The quality of the sound is one of the priorities of the concertmaster; only baroque set ups are used, strings are in natural gut, and bows are appropriate to the music performed. These details allow a greater dynamic range, disproving the common notion that baroque instruments produce less sound, and result in a rich and varied musical palette, enhancing the interpretation and the emotional expression.

The work is organized at various levels and carefully studied in order to be efficient, without compromising the technical-musical level. The group is made up of highly professional and motivated people (musicians and experts) who work together in the true spirit of collaboration.