Camerata Antiqua Seoul (CAS), founded in 2006, is a group that pursues the historical authenticity of music by reviving the instruments, tuning, performance methods, and practices of the time. It is a historically informed performance (HIP) group that carries the meaning of “a group (Camerata) that gathers together to study and perform the old (Antiqua).”
Camerata Antiqua Seoul, which plays a wide range of repertoires from chamber music to orchestral arrangements, from instrumental suites from the early 17th century to classical symphonies from the late 18th century, has performed many works for the first time in Korea since 2007, when it was the first to perform the original instruments in the Baroque opera ‘Dido and Aeneas’ planned by the Seoul Arts Center. Since then, it has performed at the Seoul Arts Center Summer Chamber Music, LG Arts Center concert series, Japan Hokutopia International Music Festival, Kumho Art Hall, Seongnam Arts Center Matinee concert, Arts Center Incheon, KBS FM open broadcasts, and Lotte Concert Hall Classic Revolution, and has given Korean premieres of many works through approximately 350 concerts, contributing to the development of Korean early music and expansion of repertoire with its excellent performances.
Together with the Korea National Chorus, Korea National Opera, Seoul metropolitan Opera and leading City Choirs in Korea, Camerata Antiqua Seoul performed numerous works including Handel’s ‘Messiah’ and ‘Rinaldo’, Vivaldi’s ‘Orlando Finto Pazzo’, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Johannes-Passion, and Matthäus-Passion, Monteverdi’s ‘Vespro della Beata Vergine’, Haydn’s ‘The Creation’, and Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ and ‘Cosi fan tutte’, leaving a distinct mark on the Korean music scene.
They also performed and recorded with world-class masters such as Richard Egarr, Winfried Toll, Ryo Terakado, and Manfredo Kraemer.
In addition, they planned a regular performance series called ‘Baroque Music Story’ every year, performing all of Vivaldi’s ‘L’estro Arminico op.3’, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso op.6, and presented music from the Palace of Versailles, Baroque music in movies, the origin of the concerto, Mozart’s piano concerto, and Boccherini and Haydn’s symphonies with historical instruments. They have received much love from audiences with their subscription concerts for 20 years so far.
Camerata Antiqua Seoul is a true representative Korean Baroque music performance group, and will continue its journey to find new values in old music and period performances and convey the inspiration.