In 1964 a brilliant young undergraduate mounted a performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers (1610) in the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. That concert has become part of musical legend, and the undergraduate, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, is now one of the world’s most highly sought-after conductors, working with the leading opera houses and major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the New York, Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras.

With that performance of the Monteverdi Vespers, John Eliot Gardiner laid the foundations for The Monteverdi Choir and the subsequent creation of its sister orchestras, The English Baroque Soloists in 1978 and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique in 1989.

Since then, the organisation has established itself as a leading force in most areas of the repertoire, uniting world-class musicians and singers in exceptional authentic performances and giving over 50 concerts a year across the world.

Lauded for their pioneering work of lesser-known music as well as for their fresh interpretation of the more familiar, The Monteverdi ensembles have won numerous international awards and secured an enduring stronghold in the classic music catalogue, with more than 250 recordings.

The Monteverdi is a not-for-profit organisation and does not receive any public subsidy. Our individual and corporate supporters represent our only source of funding and are vital for us to continue our exciting and innovative work.

Please visit our Support us page to see the many ways you or your company can get involved.