Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – Artistic Associate
‘Not all orchestras are the same’. That’s been the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s calling card since a pioneering group of musicians established the rule-bending ensemble just over 30 years ago.
But what makes an OAE performance at Kings Place special? Think of it like drinking a lovingly-made craft beer over a mass-produced lager, or a Highland single-malt over a supermarket own-brand. There’s an element of craft in everything we do. Playing on instruments from the period the music was written, each concert needs hours of research to understand centuries of performance tradition, making old music new.
At Kings Place, you hear the OAE at its most intimate and free-spirited. Enjoy collaborations with world-famous soloists in the Unwrapped series. Explore the hidden secrets of the great composers in Turning Points. And marvel at our extraordinary universe with Bach, the Universe and Everything, the Sunday morning series for inquiring and curious minds.
‘The Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment combines free-spirited risk-taking with deep scholarship: we are honoured to have such a forward-thinking ensemble at Kings Place.’
OAE in Unwrapped
The OAE’s contributions to Kings Place’s award-winning Unwrapped series are tailored to the fabulous acoustic of Kings Place Hall One. From launching Baroque Unwrapped in 2016, and Time Unwrapped in 2019 with The Creation, the OAE is a key player in shaping the narrative of these year-long series. Enjoy the OAE at its most intimate and inventive, where it has the opportunity to explore music by lesser-known composers and collaborate with great period instrument specialists, such as Rachel Podger, Christophe Coin, David Watkin and Ivan Fischer.
Turning Points
Turning Points is the Kings Place series where you get to explore the ground-breaking works of the greatest composers in music history.
Playing on instruments from the time the music was written, the expert players of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will help you discover things about the music you’d never learn on Wikipedia. Find out what it’s like to play Haydn or Handel by asking the musicians. And hear your favourite movement again by voting for the encore.
Bach, the Universe and Everything
Marvel at our extraordinary universe and the music of Bach with our new Sunday morning series for inquiring and curious minds.
Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas, a sublime collection exploring everything from faith and hope to time and eternity. Enjoy a different cantata every month, put into context by an inspiring speaker exploring the physics and natural philosophy of Bach’s subject matter.
Our very own Sunday service is a place to bond with music lovers and revel in the wonders of science. Feel invigorated, energised and inspired for the week ahead – there is no better way to start a Sunday morning.
