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Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra

Capriccio Stravagante is world-renowned for their memorable interpretations of Renaissance and Baroque music. Founded in 1986 by Skip Sempé, the ensemble of 3-30 performers now incorporates Capriccio Stravagante, the Capriccio Stravagante Orchestra, the Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra and Capriccio Stravagante Opera.

Since the very beginning, the combination of nonchalance and power which are the trademarks of Skip Sempé and Capriccio Stravagante’s live performances and recordings have been rewarded with outstanding critical praise worldwide.

Capriccio Stravagante has further expanded their kaleidoscopic variety of sound and programming with the long-awaited recording of "La Pellegrina" for the Paradizo label, with the Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra and the Collegium Vocale Gent, directed by Skip Sempé.

The Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra offers virtuoso performers on highly distinctive musical instruments whose playing techniques are completely unknown to classically trained instrumentalists and mainstream audiences. The ensemble is the largest and most luxurious gathering yet assembled for the performance of masterpieces from this Golden Age of musical creativity.

The Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra has created one of the most beautiful, opulent and memorable sounds in music today, thanks to an assembly of the finest performers on Renaissance instruments including violins, viols, recorders, cornetti, sackbuts, lutes, harps, harpsichords, virginals, organs, regals and percussion. Though nowadays many think of this instrumentarium as “Baroque”, these instruments had been created and perfected by 1550, and the instrumental virtuosity they demanded was already highly evolved.

The Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra also features glamorous voices and consort singers with a focus on dramatic intent yet to be fully experienced in this repertoire.