La Follia

Baroque Ensemble Timisoara

By its historically informed interpretative style, based on specific instrumental techniques covering the 17th and 18th centuries, La Follia sets out to restore the music of that period through concerts, recordings, collaborations with other musicians or ensembles, and participation in educational, governmental, and nongovernmental programs.

Taking as a reference point the given configuration, the ensemble allows itself to adopt, depending on the repertoire, a variable geometry, giving up one or several instruments or adding others, specific to the epoch. La Follia plays on period instruments (originals and copies of those made at the time). The players attain authenticity by making the most of their considerable experience with opera, symphonic, and chamber music, an experience which they have acquired through their extensive training in this special domain. All the members of the group have graduate and postgraduate degrees in the field.

The musicians of La Follia Baroque Ensemble Timisoara appear in concerts throughout Europe: some as part of governmental projects of the Romanian Cultural Institute, performing in major venues, including the Behague Palais and the churches Saint Severin, Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux, and Saint Louis en l’Ile—Paris; the Saint Leu Cathedral—Amiens; Theatre du Chateau Eu; The Music Auditorium—Calais; St. John sub Castro—Lewes (GB); St. Luke and Christ Church—London; Waalse Kerk—Amsterdam; El Escorial— Madrid; Cathedrale de St. Michel et Gudule—Bruxelles; Eglise St. Michel—Luxembourg; Guarnerius Foundation; Ethnographic Museum and Bitef Theatre Belgrade; Burger Saal Karlsruhe; The Throne Hall of the Wawel Royal Castle—Krakow; The Throne Hall of the Royal Castle Miramare—Trieste; La Grande Salle of Behague Castle—Paris; Onassis Foundation—Athens; and in the Unites States of America: Wayne State University—Detroit, MI; The State University—Cleveland, OH; The Public Library—Troy, MI; and Kirk in the Hills Church—Bloomfield Hills, MI.

The concert schedule has La Follia concertizing as part of non-profit activities, concerts in European cities as official cultural representatives of the city of Timisoara, a recital on the occasion of the inauguration of the BBC radio in Timisoara, inauguration of a synagogue in Sighisoara, a concert tour in Templar churches in the South of France, Bordeaux-Perigord, concerts of prestigious international festivals such as The International Festival of Ancient Music, Miercurea Ciuc, 2007 and 2009 editions, The International Classical Music Festival Toamna Clujeana organized by The Cluj Philarmonic, The International Chamber Music Festival organized by The Brasov Philarmonic, The International Music Festival Timisoara Musicala organized by The Timisoara Philarmonic, The Ethnic Festival Sighisoara, Le Festival des Ecrins 2007 and 2008 editions (Vallouise, France), The American—Romanian Festival (Detroit—U.S.A.), La Stravaganza Festival organized by The Music Academy Cluj, The International Theatre Festival SIBFEST 2010, and in conjunction with the ensemble Ausonia: the Namur Early Music Festival, “Les Nuits Baroques au Chateau de Behague”(Paris), The Early Music, “Wunderkammer” Festival Trieste (It), and Brezice Early Music Festival (Slo).

Most important was the participation at the Academie de Sable, stages with Mira Glodeanu and Bruno Cocset, with Richard Gwilt (London Baroque) in Ringve Summer Mastercourses 2008, at Brebu Nou Masterclasses 2009 with James Munro, Frederick Haas, and Mira Glodeanu. The musicians of La Follia Baroque Ensemble Timisoara are proud of the musical cooperation with famous musicians like Jaap Schroder, Alison Bury, Henrietta Wayne, Roy Mowatt, Elisabeth Bradley, Jennifer Morsches, David Blackadder, Nicolette Moonen, Frederick Haas, Jean Christophe Frisch, Fernanda Romila, Dan Racoveanu, Erich Turk, Mira Glodeanu, Jean-Pierre Menuge, Thomas Boysen, Thor Harald Johnsen, Paola Erdas, Marcel Ponseele, Ulrike Titze, Judith Steenbrink, Michael Oman, James Munro, Francois Joubert Caillet, Mira Glodeanu, Veronika Skuplik, Amandine Beyer, and The Romabarocca Ensemble, The Janas Ensemble, Ausonia, The Balkan Baroque Band, The Austrian Baroque Company, The United Continuo Ensemble, and Gli Incogniti.

After recording the first CD in Paris, La Follia agreed to offer all rights in producing and selling the CD Avec la passion du coeur to the humanitarian organization “Experts Comptables Sans Frontieres.” The benefits from selling the CD are used for financing social and sanitary projects in Eastern Africa.

In 2006, the musicians from La Follia organised the first edition of the Timisoara Early Music Festival (FMVTm); founded “Societatea Musica Antica” in 2007, which took charge of organising the next editions; and in 2008 the first edition of Brebu Nou Early Music Festival. Starting with the 2009 editions, Societatea Musica Antica attached to both festivals mastercourses held by top musicians.

As its mission, the Baroque ensemble La Follia intends to restore a live, sincere, and expressive concept to Baroque music, supported by constant research and documentation. La Follia wishes to be a friendship ambassador to the multitude of cultures, united among other means through music.