Ensemble Caprice
“The Ensemble has established itself as an immensely thoughtful and progressive force on the musical scene. Ensemble Caprice encourages the listener to rehear the world.” – New York Times
Two-time JUNO Award winning Ensemble Caprice was founded by acclaimed conductor, composer, and recorder soloist Matthias Maute and has become known for its innovative and adventuresome approach to an expanding musical repertoire. In addition to its series of concerts in Montreal, the group tours extensively in Quebec, Canada, the USA, Europe, and even Asia. The Ensemble has been invited to perform in prestigious festivals, including the Lufthansa Festival in London, festivals in Bruges (Belgium) and Utrecht (Netherlands), the Felicja Blumental International Music Festival in Tel Aviv, and, in Germany, the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, the Regensburg early music festival, the Festival Hãndel-Festspiele in Halle and the Stockstadt Festival.
The New York Times published a lengthy article hailing the musicians’ innovative and refreshing approach, praising them as “imaginative, even powerful; and the playing is topflight.”
The Ensemble’s recording activity is every bit as impressive, comprising over 20 CDs on the Analekta label. These recordings have gleaned many honours and much critical acclaim, including a 2009 JUNO award, and four Prix Opus awards. The Ensemble’s artistic merit and the quality of its work were recognized once again when the group was chosen as a finalist in the music category for the Grand Prix de Montréal and voted “public’s choice.” In addition, Caprice was nominated for the Prix Echo Klassik in Germany and received a glowing recommendation from the prestigious magazine Gramophone.
Caprice has also gained a solid reputation for its videos on the Mécénat Musica Noncerto classical music channel. During the past two years, Ensemble Caprice has given over 100 concerts in five countries on three continents. The Ensemble has performed in 11 festivals, embarked upon its first Latin American tour, and made its third trip to China in addition to an inaugural tour in South Africa. Ensemble Caprice is the instigator of the Mini-Concerts Santé and received the originator of the Opus Award for Musical Event of the Year 2020 for this project. Most recently, their album Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 received a nomination for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
