ENSEMBLE 415 Chiara Banchini Musical Director Andreas Scholl counter-tenor

A rare treat - exquisite performances of baroque masterpieces!

With invitations to perform at all the great music festivals and concert seasons of Europe, the dynamic group of string players Ensemble 415 is now established as one of the finest baroque ensembles in the world.

The name is taken from the pitch to which instruments were tuned in the Baroque period, and its performances echo the historical authenticity which the name suggests. This is the ensemble's first visit to Australia, performing exclusively for the Biennial. Led by dynamic Swiss violinist Chiara Banchini, who founded the group in 1981, Ensemble 415 present some of the great masterworks of the Italian Baroque and the music of Boccherini and Mozart.

A highlight of the programme of Vivaldi vocal masterworks is the deeply expressive Stabat Mater, a lyrical prayer of human yearning for faith, sung by brilliant young counter-tenor Andreas Scholl. Last year's recording of the Stabat Mater with Scholl and Ensemble 415 received world-wide acclaim. A smaller group from Ensemble 415 plays some of the most delightful chamber music ever written, where the rococo elegance of Boccherini is contrasted with the more profound and classical Mozart.