Il Cuore Barocco (Baroque heart) is an independent ensemble of active professional musicians that performs music from earlier eras in a historically informed manner. It uses replicas of original instruments, period temperaments and pitches, and copies of original manuscripts and prints. Primary sources as well as modern musicological research inform their practice. The goal is to present music of previous centuries to our audience as authentically as possible.
Il Cuore Barocco was established in 2010 by cellist Tomáš Kardoš. It began as a student ensemble supervised by Mgr. art Peter Zajíček ArtD., artistic leader of the early music ensemble Musica Aeterna, and now has an active concert schedule of his own. Il Cuore Barocco annually performs at the Svetoslav Veigl music festival and also at a number of towns in Eastern Slovakia. They have performed at the festivals Kráľová pri Senci, Banská Štiavnica, and Prievidza. The ensemble frequently cooperates with vocal soloists and several choirs.
In addition to promoting a historically informed approach in Slovakia and abroad, Il Cuore Barocco aims to present forgotten works of composers who lived in the region of modern day Slovakia - for example its 21st Century premier of the Te Deum by 18th Century Franciscan monk Gaudentius Dettelbach . This project as was met with great success at the "Festival of Word and Music" in Kráľová pri Senci (2011).
The members of the ensemble continue their studies, either in early music programs at universities abroad (Vienna, Brno, Graz, Brussels) or by attending masterclasses (Middle European Music Academy, project Accentus Musicalis, Summer School of Baroque Music, International Summer School of Baroque Music etc.). Notably the members are involved in other Slovak ensembles (Musica Aeterna, Solamente Naturali) as well as ensembles abroad (Musica Florea, Czech Ensemble Baroque, Capella Regia, Capella Leopoldina, Pandolfis Consort, Barucco, Musica Coeli Graz, Darmstadt Hofkapelle)
While Il Cuore Barocco focuses mainly on Baroque music, it certainly hasn't forgotten earlier or later repertoire. The ensemble is adaptable and regularly performs music from the Renaissance and Classical periods too. Also a majority of projects involve collaboration with vocal soloists and choirs. For conductors and festival directors it can provide a ready-made program (from small scale chamber pieces to large orchestral works) and also the option to prepare repertoire chosen by you the organizer.
Please contact us at our email address ilcuorebarocco@gmail.com
Il Cuore Barocco