It is no coincidence that the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was such a self-aware ensemble from its very beginning: it very swiftly began to gain exceptional prestige for itself. This is indicated by a partial list of their collaborators over the past decades: Frans Brüggen, Gustav Leonhardt, Christopher Hogwood, Charles Mackerras, René Jacobs, Roger Norrington, William Christie, Philippe Herreweghe, Robin Ticciati, Yannick Nézet-Séguin – just a few of their renowned partners, both active and deceased. There is also a narrower group of musicians who work with the orchestra: these are the ones who merit the honorary title 'principal artist'. We Hungarians can take pride in the fact that this circle includes Iván Fischer and András Schiff alongside the likes of Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, Mark Elder and John Butt. We can be especially proud that one of the three violinists rotating to lead the orchestras – alongside Margaret Faultless, who will lead the Budapest concert, and Matthew Truscott – is one Kati Debretzeni.
Although the orchestra (true to its name) officially considers the music of the second half of the 18th century to be its core repertoire, it does not necessarily treat this as an iron-clad rule. At Müpa Budapest's Early Music Festival, for example, they will play several instrumental pieces of remarkable beauty by Bach, the master who embodies the Baroque period.

The concert will be preceded, at 6 pm, by an introductory presentation by Dr. Salamon Kamp entitled Prelude in the Auditorium, which will be open to anyone holding a ticket for the performance.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest