Il Rossignolo Baroque Ensemble
Il Rossignolo is an ensemble specializing in the study and performance of early music on historical instruments. It was founded by flutists Marica Testi and Martino Noferi, with Ottaviano Tenerani, who also conducts the ensemble, serving as the harpsichordist. Internationally, Il Rossignolo is hailed as a "carrier of Italian excellence in early music" (Financial Times Deutschland).
The ensemble has signed a recording contract with Sony Classical International. Its first release with Sony was Germanico, a previously unpublished work discovered by the ensemble and attributed to Georg Friedrich Handel. This album received unanimous praise and enthusiastic reviews from international critics and music magazines worldwide. Their subsequent album Telemann Virtuoso was described as "extraordinary" by specialized magazines like Fanfare (USA) and Musica (Italy), and was named among the top 25 recordings of the year by Artribune.
Their ongoing recording activity has led to the realization of projects that feature important rediscoveries in modern times, such as the Madrigali et Canzonette a Cinque Voci by Orazio Caccini (CD selection in Early Music Magazine), the Sinfonie da Camera by G.B. Martini (CD award from The Classic Voice), and the Notturni a Quattro by G.B. Sammartini ("A wonderful album!" – Classical Music). Projects dedicated to well-known repertoires include the concerts and symphonies of Alessandro Scarlatti ("An exceptional pleasure" – Concerto) and the concertos for violin and organ by Antonio Vivaldi ("Il Rossignolo... a passionate and technically precise ensemble, rich in color and sound" – Musica).
The Sonate op. 2 by Benedetto Marcello were hailed as "an exciting interpretation, as one would expect from Italian performers playing Italian music..." (Musicweb International) and were chosen as one of the albums of the year.
Il Rossignolo is also an active educator and is frequently invited to teach courses and masterclasses on the interpretation of early music. It is a guest faculty member at the Accademia Internazionale d'Organo e Musica Antica Giuseppe Gherardeschi in Pistoia, one of Italy's leading centers for training in historical music performance. There, Il Rossignolo is responsible for the instrument collection and coordinates the artistic activities and courses for historical instruments and ensemble music.
In 2012, Il Rossignolo was included in the Sony Classical International catalog of top artists. The ensemble has a recording plan with Sony that includes several complete works by J.S. Bach as well as world premiere recordings of works by Antonio Caldara and Alessandro Scarlatti. Their most recent production for SONY/DHM is a box set featuring the world premiere recordings of all the solo instrument sonatas by Georg Friedrich Handel.
