

La Cetra Barockorchester Basel
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La Cetra is now one of the leading Baroque orchestras in the world, and the ensemble has an unprecedented international presence with performances in the most important concert halls such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Konzerthaus Wien, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Theater an der Wien, Carnegie Hall New York and at the most renowned festivals such as the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, Festival de Granada, Festival Aix-en-Provence and many more. In August 2023, La Cetra has a residency at the Musikfest Bremen.
La Cetra owes its dynamic development above all to the award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Andrea Marcon, under whose musical direction the orchestra has been since 2009.
La Cetra’s explicit credo is that scholarly background work, intensive study of historical instruments, performance practice and the historical context of the works performed ultimately serve only one purpose: to make so-called early music accessible to people today – in lively, gripping, contemporary interpretations. La Cetra was awarded the European Early Music Prize for this in 2009.
La Cetra is also active as an opera orchestra, realising a baroque opera production every season with the Theater Basel, and has also been a guest at the Dutch National Opera and La Scala di Milano with staged productions.
Numerous critically acclaimed CD recordings document La Cetra’s rich oeuvre. Recent releases include the three-CD recording of Leclair’s violin concertos with Leila Schayegh – honoured with the Diapason d’Or – as well as the albums “Sopranista” with Samuel Mariño, “Traversée” with Patricia Petibon and “A tribute to Bach” with Maurice Steger.
The CD release of Monteverdi’s Vespro di Natale with Andrea Marcon on Deutsche Grammophon in October 2022 was enthusiastically received by audiences and the press.
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Julia Larigo Senior Manager: Arts Partnerships & Tours
“A performance of Bach’s B minor Mass that I found totally compelling”
“With “Arsilda, regina di Ponto”, a drama per musica by Antonio Vivaldi, the orchestra once again proved its outstanding quality. The La Cetra Baroque Orchestra played with tremendous dynamics, and you could clearly feel the joy of the musicians in this wonderful music. Andrea Marcon led prudently and with great energy. It is fortunate to be able to experience such brilliant performances with this orchestra here in Basel again and again.”
“Baroque theatricality before Easter: Brilliant interpretation of the “St. John Passion” by La Cetra at the Auditorium under the direction of Marcon. The anniversary could not have been celebrated better: La Cetra demonstrated its rigorous knowledge of instrumentation and the Baroque repertoire and delivered outstanding results thanks to the warmth of its sound and the balance of the group under the experienced direction of its leader Andrea Marcon”