Collegium Marianum Baroque orchestra
Since it was founded in 1997, the Prague ensemble Collegium Marianum has focused on presenting the music of the 17th and 18th centuries, especially by composers who were born or active in central Europe. One of the few professional ensembles specialising in this field in the Czech Republic, Collegium Marianum not only gives musical performances, but regularly also stages scenic projects.
The ensemble works under the artistic leadership of the traverso player Jana Semerádová whose active research into and study of Baroque gesture, declamation and dance has enabled the broadening of the artistic profile of the Collegium Marianum ensemble and the presentation of multi-genre projects featuring Baroque dance and theatre. This background also informs her unique, thematic programming, which has resulted in a number of modern-day premieres. The ensemble works closely with renowned soloists (Hana Blažíková, Simona Houda-Šaturová, Roberta Mameli, Raffaele Pe, Chantal Santon Jeffery, etc.) and has carried out projects with leading conductors and directors (e.g., Andrew Parrott, Rudolf Lutz, Benjamin Lazar, and Jean-Denis Monory). Its artistic collaboration with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles has produced dramaturgically extraordinary projects involving French Baroque music and dance and the ensemble also maintains a long-term, fruitful collaboration with the Buchty a loutky theatre company.
Collegium Marianum has received critical acclaim both at home and abroad and has appeared extensively on Czech Radio and TV as well as on radio abroad. The performances of the ensemble at many music festivals and prestigious venues have met with great success.
The Supraphon label has already released ten of their recordings as part of the “Music of 18th Century Prague” series. In 2022, the CD “A Lily Among Thorns” with Hana Blažíková was nominated for the “Anděl” musical awards.
Collegium Marianum is the ensemble in residence of the Summer Festivities of Early Music international festival. It is a recipient of the merit award for the quality and dissemination of Czech music from the Czech section of the International Music Council of UNESCO.
