The English Concert is among the finest chamber orchestras in the world, with a reputation for outstanding interpretations of Baroque and Classical music in the concert hall and on CD.

Each season we present a prestigious series of concerts in London, at Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall, appearing also at major London festivals, including the BBC Proms, the Spitafields Festival and the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music.

The orchestra tours extensively at home and abroad. In the UK we visit the major summer festivals and appear each year at St George’s Bristol. Internationally we tour to four continents: since 2005 we have visited the United States, Australia, Korea and Malaysia, in addition to ten European countries.

Among the most recorded of chamber orchestras, we have made more than 100 recordings for Deutsche Grammophon with our founder Trevor Pinnock, including many award winners, and a series of critically acclaimed CDs for Harmonia Mundi with violinist Andrew Manze, who succeeded Trevor Pinnock as Artistic Director in 2003.

Highlights of recent seasons include Heinrich Biber’s recently rediscovered Missa Christi Resurgentiis, Mozart’s re-orchestration of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast for the BBC Proms, Jonathan Dove’s Köthener Mass for the Spitalfields Festival, and a triumphant 13-city US tour in autumn 2006 with Andrew Manze performing Mozart violin concertos. Our latest recording, a recital of Handel scenes and arias by renowned tenor Mark Padmore, has been universally praised.

In September 2007 Harry Bicket became the third artistic director in our 34-year history, when he opened the new season at Cadogan Hall with a programme of Mozart and Haydn with soprano Elizabeth Watts.

Harry Bicket is renowned worldwide for his performances of Baroque opera with many of the leading singers of the age, and forthcoming TEC seasons will include exciting collaborations with Sara Mingardo, Jonathan Lemalu, David Daniels, Anna-Caterina Antonacci, Mark Padmore and others.

We also invite leading guest directors to work with us each season, and in 2007-08 we will appear in London and abroad with three brilliant Italians – oboist Alfredo Bernardini, harpsichordist Rinaldo Alessandrini and violinist Fabio Biondi – as well as with harpsichordists Laurence Cummings, Kenneth Weiss and Matthew Halls.  

Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact M.A.M. Management to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.