Cappella Andrea Barca

The musicians of the Cappella Andrea Barca are primarily active as globally successful soloists and chamber musicians and are not tied to any orchestras. They were selected personally by Sir Andras Schiff for the performance of the complete Mozart’s piano concertos at the Mozartwoche Salzburg from 1999 to 2005. Since then, the Cappella Andrea Barca has been a regular guest at the Salzburg Mozartwochen.

Gradually, under the direction of Schiff, the chamber orchestra widened their scope. Since 1999, they have organised the Omaggio a Palladio Festival at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, with Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte in 2001. The chamber orchestra was also a guest at the Kunstfest Weimar in the years of 2004 to 2007. In addition, they have toured numerous European cities such as Vienna, Innsbruck, Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Athens, Brussels, Luxembourg, Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Diisseldorf, Frankfurt, Bremen, Baden-Baden, Budapest and Lisbon. Two tours in the “Mozart Year” in 2006 led the Cappella Andrea Barca to the United States – Carnegie Hall in New York, the Avery Fisher Hall and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.. The chamber orchestra performed at important festivals like the Beethovenfest Bonn in 2008 and 2010, Lucerne Festival (with J.S. Bach’s Mass in B-flat minor in 2006 and 2012, and with Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Balthasar Neumann Chorus in 2014), Schubertiade Schwarzenberg in 2014 and 2015, and Schl “Holstein Music Festival and Rheingau Music Festival in 2016. In 2017, they were the guest at the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad Festival.

Schiff’s ambition is to present the Cappella Andrea Barca in a way that allows the chamber orchestra to prove themselves in soloist and chamber music formations, which is something that most established orchestras will struggle to achieve. “What I work with as a conductor is an extension of chamber music; the Cappella is a chamber music ensemble of excellent soloists, but above all chamber musicians. There are many string quartet players in this orchestra, and playing the string quartet is the pinnacle of making music”. Moreover, Schiff considers the human and personal component equally important: “There is no place for the egotist. This ensemble is based on friendship, understanding, equality and equal ideals – aesthetic, musical and human”.