Capella Cracoviensis

Semper in altum has been the guiding motto of Capella Cracoviensis for a few years now turning it into the most dynamically developing ensemble in Poland which specialises in period performance of old music. Thanks to the consistent support of the City of Krakow Capella Cracoviensis may implement ambitious projects in an uncompromising way and achieve the highest artistic level collaborating with outstanding musicians of similar sensitivity and courage. Those performing regularly with CC include Vincent Dumestre (Le Po?me Harmonique), Fabio Bonizzoni (La Risonanza), Alessandro Moccia (Orchestre des Champs-Élysées), Andrew Parrott, Paul Goodwin and Ensemble Oltremontano, while guest concerts are given by Accademia Bizantina, Fretwork, Nachtmusique, Paul McCreesh, Giuliano Carmignola and Christophe Rousset (Les Talens Lyriques). Along with its concert activity Capella Cracoviensis explores the territory of Baroque and Classicist opera and has successfully staged Polish versions of Handel’s Amadigi, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni or Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.
 The talent of CC’s members, technically skilful and extremely flexible chamber musicians, has been recognised by such eminent personalities of the musical world as Fabio Biondi, Marc Minkowski, Le Po?me Harmonique or the ensemble La Venexiana under the baton of Claudio Cavina. CC’s extensive repertoire ranging from Gesualdo’s neck-breaking mannerist madrigals to the 20th century avant-garde compositions and characterised by rare vividness and homogeneity of sound has resulted in intense collaboration with the authorities in period performance. The virtuosity of CC has also led to two publications for the prestigious French label Alpha / Outhere Music – Charpentier and Lully’s Te Deum (Alpha 952) and the complete set of Bach’s motets (Alpha 199) - as well as Bach Rewrite, a very well-received album for Decca Classics with the harpsichord concertos of the composer from Leipzig in which CC accompanies Piotr Orzechowski and Marcin Masecki performing on electro-acoustic piano.
Capella Cracoviensis has performed at outstanding European Festivals, which include Haydn Festspiele Brühl, Bachfest Leipzig, SWR Festspiele and Händel Festspiele Halle. It gives regular concerts abroad, at Vienna’s Konzerthaus, in Versailles, Brussles, Ghent, Lviv and Kiev. It was the first Polish ensemble to perform on the stage of Opéra Royal in Versailles with Adriano in Siria by Pergolesi.
In 2008 Jan Tomasz Adamus, an outstanding organist, harpsichordist, conductor and animator of musical life, became general and artistic director of Capella Cracoviensis. He has shaped his artistic personality in collaboration with many eminent singers while remaining in contact with the most important European centres of art recognising painting, sculpture, architecture or philosophy of art as a permanent counterpoint to all musical actions
CC was established in 1970 at the initiative of the then-director of Krakow’s Philharmonic Jerzy Katlewicz who was requested by Stanisław Gałoński to create an ensemble specialising in period performance of old music at the philharmonic orchestra. Over the years, Capella Cracoviensis has become an independent organisation operating as a kind of a small philharmonic orchestra performing various repertoire ranging from Renaissance music to the world premieres of contemporary pieces.