Artists

The ORFEO Orchestra was founded in Budapest in 1991 by György Vashegyi, receiving its name from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, following the first full performance of the opera in Hungary. The orchestra (since 1992 playing on period instruments) consists of professional musicians with international experience as either orchestra members or instrumental soloists. The ensemble’s regular partner in performances is Purcell Choir which was founded one year earlier also by György Vashegyi.

The Orfeo Orchestra is the most authentic exponent of Early music (Baroque, Classical and Romantic) compositions in Hungary and has given many first performances on period instruments under the baton of György Vashegyi, since1998 they have produced several world-premier recordings for Hungaroton and other publishers from compositions of Charpentier, Geist, Michael Haydn, Istvánffy, Kraus, Lickl, Manna, Méhul, Tartini and Tunder. Between 2002 and 2007 are being performed Haydn's first 80 symphonies as part of Mr. Vashegyi's own concert series (venue: Esterházy Palace of Fertőd), enabling these to be heard there for the first time since the 18th century with the same number of players, on period instruments on the same venue, as Haydn himself used to perform them. Since 2014, a close cooperation has been formed with the Center of Baroque music of Versailles, their first CD released together is the world-premier recording of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s "ballet héroique", Les Fêtes de Polymnie (published in January 2015 by Glossa). Continuing the collaboration, they published two more recordings: Grand Motets and Isbé by Mondonville, they recorded Ramuea’s opera: Nais at Béla Bartók National Concert Hall of Müpa in March 2017. Besides the famous singers’ outstandig performance, the critizens appreciated the ensembles’ musically shaped execution: the recordings released up to now have notable international successes, such as: Diapason D’Or and Diapason Découverte, Diamant de l'Opéra (Opéra Magazine, Paris), Preis der deutchen Schallplattenkritik.

The first concertmaster of Orfeo Orchestra is László Paulik, nevertheless Simon Standage – the world-famous Baroque violin player – has been often invited for solos  and for leading the orchestra since 2009. In recent years, the Orfeo Orchestra and the Purcell Choir have been conducted by international renowned conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, René Jacobs, Philippe Herrewege and Ádám Fischer.

The names of the ORFEO Orchestra and the PURCELL Choir have now become inseparably linked to their founder György Vashegyi, who can rightly be described as the outstanding exponent of classical and early music compositions and the person who has revitalized these works in Hungary.